After the Season
by ShadowShock
Summary: 'Twas the week after Christmas... and Mikey couldn't read his comics! Good thing he's not an only sibling. A slice of life set in 2k3 after Season 3's Christmas Aliens.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ninja Turtles, Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello or any related items. I do not make a profit out of this story, this is a free to read and archive (do tell me though) fanfiction story created out of inspiration.

**Author's Note:** Here I am, posting another story. I meant to get it out sooner but - ironically - I got sick. Heh. This one started out as the very beginning paragraph and stayed that way for about six months. Then I opened it up again and decided, what the hey!

Considering that this one was set in early season 3 I got to work with the turtle siblings' more developed interaction with each other and used this piece as a way of practicing. In the end though I hope you enjoy my simple story... which was _not_ supposed to turn into a near **20k** monster!

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Looking back, the signs, Michelangelo thought ever so slowly as he blinked his eyes blearily, had been right there in front of him. Only now, of course, does he remembered rubbing at his nose two days ago when he was finishing up leftovers of April's delicious creamy Christmas cookies from their spectacular Christmas party. And there had been the dry throat he'd woken up with yesterday; only to promptly forget about when he heard the hungry meowing of his new friend. By the time he felt the fever setting in he had been in the middle of his Monster Mayhem Movie marathon - something he'd been looking forward to ever since Splinter announced there would be no intense training the whole Christmas week. He hadn't been thinking too straight when his burning eyes had forced him to stop and the only thought he had was of hauling himself up into his loft bed and sleeping his misery away.

If only he'd paid more attention he could have stopped it cold.

"Ha." he whispered hoarsely. "Stopped it cold. Get it Klunk?"

He barely heard the kitten's response from the corner of his bed as the words tickled his throat and sent him into a coughing fit, one which seemed to do nothing for him and everything towards making his throat hurt more, his eyes burn more and his whole diaphragm ache.

Mikey rubbed at his nose and eyes with both fists as the fit finally ended. Rolling over on his side with a groan he grabbed and buried his head into his pillow. It gave him a few seconds of relief as the fabric felt cool against his eyes and he almost whimpered when it faded away. If only he'd been able to sleep through the night instead of being pulled awake by his fever and coughing.

He felt Klunk stand up and stretch before jumping off the loft bed with a small "_brreow_".

"Aw, Klunk," Mikey whined. The white paws and waving tail tip were the only way he could track the kitten in the dark as the cat made his way out the room. Deserter.

Well, it wasn't like Mikey was exactly awake either, he figured as he let out another weak cough. If he were fully awake he'd figure out how to get down and head for the kitchen to make himself some tea. Or go wake Leo up to make the tea. Maybe this was what it was like for Arachnid Boy when he'd been poisoned with the deadly dastardly-

His thoughts were interrupted by another round of harsh coughing and he decided it wasn't worth the effort right now. Right now he felt horrible and all he wanted was to be able to go to sleep and wake up with it all gone. If only he could get one of his brothers to get something for him...

He cracked an eye open and peeked over the edge of the bed, barely making out the outline of the green shellcell on the floor. Definitely out of reach. He should start putting it under his pillow or along the bed edge with his nunchucks. Well, he could just try to do it the old fashion ninja way. He half lifted himself up on his elbows and called out.

"Donnie!"

Or tried to. It squeaked at the end when Mikey tried to make it loud enough to reach out of his room and in the end all he got from it was another round of coughing. No way he could wake up Donnie like that. He collapsed back onto his bed and curled up under the blankets, letting out a shiver even though he didn't feel too cold. He wished someone, anyone, was awake in the lair. But except for his coughing it was all quiet.

He figured he'd try to go back to sleep. Again. And if he couldn't, well it was only... he peeked over the edge of the bed again, squinting to make his eyes focus on the glowing numbers. At least six hours before there was a chance anyone would start to wake up. It was the holidays after all. There was a chance even Leo would be a little slow.

Mikey let out a moan - what, it wasn't like anyone was around to hear him - rolled onto his back and squeezed his eyes shut, throwing an arm over them. Time was going to move _excruciatingly_ slow for him. Turtle luck true to form.

He heaved a sigh which irritated his dry throat and made him cough again. He dropped his arm from his head and shifted on his bed restlessly, kicking off a blanket from one foot. He shifted again and found himself staring at the ceiling without really seeing it, coughing.

The next thing he knew something was making his bed shift and a sleepy voice was calling his name. A hand was on his shoulder, nudging him.

"Mikey? Hey, bro, what's going on?"

"Wha?" Mikey managed to reply intelligently. Pulling together enough energy to lift his head off his pillow and twist around, he blinked at the silhouetted figure hanging on the edge of his bed. Funny, he didn't remember leaving his lamp on. He blinked again, unsure which brother it was... not that it mattered much. One of his brothers were here; things would be much better.

The hand was back, this time pushing at the blankets pulled up to his chin and touching his forehead. "Feels like you're running a fever."

"Mmm-hmmm," Mikey sighed and leaned against the cool hand, letting his eyes close in relief.

"You getting any sleep?"

Mikey shook his head and opened his eyes, letting all the misery he was feeling come out. What? It was great to be pampered by older brothers. No need to hold it in! "It's like trying to fly a Razoredge on BattleDawn with half your engines out cold and the other half randomly going off in random directions. Oh yeah and the nav-com won't shut up. All the while you're trying to land on that stupid rotating asteroid base."

"Heh," his dark green brother gave his head a rub with his knuckles. "That sounds like you on a normal day."

Without another word, Raph pulled away and started down the ladder. Mikey huffed in annoyance as his brother vanished from his sight, flipped onto his stomach and wiggled himself up near the edge. Didn't Raph know the extent of his misery? He was _not_ about to sit in bed with another six hours of night to go! He was dying of boredom as it was and he was going to let Raph know.

"Raphieeeee!"

His whine was ruined by the coughing at the end but he figured he'd gotten his message across when Raph paused as he stepped onto the floor. He eyed Mikey with a grunt and if it wasn't for the fever Mikey might have found the annoyed yet sleepy expression on Raph's face funny.

"I'm just gonna go get Leo," Raph told him, rubbing his eyes before reaching up and patting Mikey's arm. "Helping you down without breaking a leg is going to be a two man job."

"Oh." That made sense. Not even Raph would tease him too much when he was this sick. He relaxed, then added quickly. "Okay. You can go. But only if you come back!"

"I'm coming back," Raph rolled his eyes as he made his way over to the doorway, yawning loudly.

Time stretched so it seemed to take forever for the digital clock to change numbers. And his eyes were still itchy and burning. He rubbed at them with the back of his hands again, trying his best not to rub too hard as Donnie's voice echoed in the back of his head; an admonishment that the older brother had repeated over and over again. Something about rubbing too hard actually made the itching worse? Or was that for mosquito bites?

When he finished and blinked his eyes open, Raph was back with Leo. If Mikey wasn't already, the alert look Leo had would have been enough to make him sick. How did Leo manage to look so awake? It had to be some older brother super-power or something.

Raph looked up at Mikey and raised an eyeridge. "You ready to come down?"

"No," was the miserable reply. He didn't have the energy to pull off the coordination that usually came so natural to him. At the same time he knew he didn't want to stay in bed - he really would be bored, not to mention the misery of being sick. "BattleDawn. Razoredge. Stupid rotating asteroid base. Remember?"

"Right." Raph climbed up the ladder again, making the bed frame rock. "Come on, get it in gear."

Mikey sighed, half in relief that something was finally happening and half in exhaustion at the mere thought of having to do anything like moving. This was the hard part. Usually when he got sick he'd realize it in time to go crash on the couch. Or somewhere that didn't pose the risk of injury just to go get a drink of water. The last half dozen times he'd been in his own bed and too sick to move it had been a pain in the shell to get to the floor without some help. Not that he'd ever exchange his loft bed for a floor mattress like Leo. He liked being up high.

Just not when he was sick.

Scrunching up his face, Mikey flip off the blankets and crawl nearer to the edge of the bed where the ladder was. When he got within reach, Raph grabbed the edge of his carapace and tugged him around so that his legs were hanging off the edge of the bed. Raph gave him a push to start him sliding off the bed, then changed his grip to Mikey's arm. Mikey grumbled and shifted as the wooden edge dug uncomfortably into his plastron. Hands grabbed him around the waist to help guide him down, taking his weight so he wouldn't drop uncontrolled to the floor.

"Got him," Leo said as his feet touched the floor and Mikey shivered at the cold, curling his toes.

Raph grunted and released his hold on Mikey's arm. As soon as he did Mikey turned and buried his face into Leo's shoulder, hugging his older brother's arm to himself. The fever made him feel lousy and gave him that hated feeling of being out of touch with the world around him, like a hazy film was between his mind and the physical realm. But Leo practically radiated calm and holding onto him, feeling that his brother really was there, helped to ground Mikey and calm his nerves.

"Your room?" Leo asked as Raph jumped off the ladder.

Mikey frowned, not sure he liked where this was going. Because, hello! At least his room had a TV in it! Raph's didn't, just a radio and no way he'd be entertained from that, certainly when there weren't any notable sports games playing in the nearby states. And playing cards wouldn't even come close to dulling the state of sheer boredom Mikey was in. He could only imagine Raph falling asleep, snoring pleasantly while he could only kick his heels against the wall, unable to even read his comic books to pass the time.

"Leo," he surprised even himself at how cranky his voice came out. "I'm _bored_!"

"No, you're just over-tired." Raph corrected, reaching out to lay the back of his hand against Mikey's cheek.

"Can't sleep," Mikey whined back, shrugging his shoulder against Raph's arm in a quick rise of irritation. His voice squeaked unexpectedly at the end and he reluctantly pulled away from Leo to start coughing into his own arm. It was harder then his previous ones, making his throat and diaphragm ache in sympathy. Leo rubbed his back and waited patiently till he was done.

"Mikey, when did this start?" There was a frown in the eldest' voice even if Mikey couldn't see one on his face at the moment.

"Dunno, maybe yesterday?" Mikey told his brother honestly, his voice rasping uncomfortably. He swallowed a cough and couldn't help wincing at the pain. He went back to hugging Leo's arm. "But the fever started after I went to bed tonight."

"Let's do the couch." Raph continued their previous discussion.

"It's not the warmest out there..." Leo started but Mikey felt Raph wave his hand in the air.

"It's not _that_ much colder, Leo. Look, I'll get a blanket. It's not like he's going to be able to go to sleep and he'll only get crankier which will mean _I_ won't get any sleep. I can manage to get him up to my room when he does fall asleep."

"Alright." Leo rubbed Mikey's back again. "Come on, little brother. Let's get going."

Mikey let out a whine of protest as Leo tugged him forward but allowed himself to be led out the bedroom door. Raph stayed behind for a few seconds while Leo guided Mikey towards the reclaimed fire escape stairs, a hand on his shoulder. As Mikey grumbled at the cold metal on his feet Raph jumped down past them, a blanket bundled under one arm. He landed silently on the stairway halfway down, a slight shiver in the whole metal frame the only evidence of his landing, before dropping the rest of the way to the floor.

By the time Leo and Mikey made it to the ground floor, Raph had turned on a few lamps around the entertainment area and was fiddling with the wires on the Xbox, making sure things were connected.

"Mindless or funny?" Raph asked as they came around the couch. He pulled the box of games towards him and flipped through the jumble of game cases.

"Mindless," Mikey replied without hesitation. He wanted comedy when he could actually enjoy it, plus laughing probably wouldn't be all that good for his throat. Leo helped him ease down into the couch and he leaned back against the armrest with a sigh of relief.

"I'm going to make you some tea," Leo told him, pulling the blanket over him and patting his shoulder.

Mikey peeked an eye at him, hopeful. "Honey?"

Leo smiled and gave a small chuckle. "Of course."

He reached a hand up to rub at his eyes but Leo snatched at his wrist, stopping him. "Mikey, don't do that. It'll make it worse."

"Leo," Mikey whined and tugged at his hand. Didn't getting pampered also mean he got away with doing what he wanted? "It itches!"

"I'll get you a cold rag." Leo pushed his hand down and started walking away, only to spin on his heel and point a stern finger at his younger brother, his eyes narrowed in his "I am the leader, don't make me prove it" look. "_Don't_ rub your eyes!"

Mikey immediately dropped his left hand back in his lap, trying to look innocent but when that didn't change Leo's stern expression he heaved a sigh of long-suffering and tucked the hand under the blanket. Leo just shook his head and left for the kitchen. But Mikey had spotted the smile fighting to get on his brother's face and had to hide a grin.

_Hah! Even with half a brain I can still make Leo - wait what did I just say about myself?_

He scowled and gave a snort of dismissal, only to regret it when the cooler air of the main lair tickled against his throat and made him cough again. He curled around himself, pulling the blanket tighter around his body. As the cough subsided he noticed it was one of his favorite fluffy blankets. It was usually tucked under two other blankets. Mikey reached up to rub at his nose and then moved to his eyes.

"Nyah!" Raph was suddenly there, flicking his hand away from his face. "Geez, you're worse then a rat around fresh cheese."

Mikey groaned and dropped his head back against the couch cushion. "Oh come on, you too?"

"Just wait for Leo." Raph ordered, ignoring his little brother's whining. Game controller in one hand, Raph scooped up Mikey's legs easily enough with his other arm. Sitting down, he dropped Mikey's feet across his lap.

"Raphieee," Mikey cranked. When Raph rolled an annoyed look in his direction he wiggled his toes. "My feet are cold, cover them up... please?" he added when Raph's scowl grew darker.

"The things I have to put up with," Raph grumbled. But he tugged the blanket down around Mikey's feet and tucked it in around them as the TV screen flickered to life with the game intro. And if he left his arm curled around Mikey's feet - which really were cold! - Mikey pretended not to notice.

"Bounty Hunter?" he questioned as Raph quickly scrolled through the starting menus.

"Figured it's pretty mindless." Raph commented as he started the level. "After all, you play a bounty hunter-"

"-you don't need a story." Mikey echoed along with Raph and let out a snicker that ended in coughing. He squeezed his eyes closed and tucked his face into his blanket. "Oooww... this is so not fun."

"Here, Mikey. This should help."

Leo's voice - still sounding far too awake for someone woken up in the middle of the night - pulled Mikey out of his misery and he looked up to see the turtle approaching with a wooden tray. Leo kept talking as he set down the tray on the coffee table.

"The cup has ginger tea in it. I want you to drink that first. The thermos has licorice root though to help your throat - I already put some honey in it. Oh, and here's a cold rag for your eyes and the tissue box."

Mikey sat up, eyes flicking between the cup of tea and the rag in Leo's hand, not sure which one he wanted first. The coughing and pain in his throat was just as bad as the itching and burning in his eyes. The choice was made for him though when his hand strayed towards his face.

Leo sighed, grabbed his hand and dropped the rag over his eyes.

"I was just going to scratch my nose." Mikey protested, even as he reached up to move Leo's hand away and press the rag against his face. Oh, man. Pizza was the best food but the cold rag was a slice of heaven at the moment.

"Sure," Leo's voice said he was just playing along to humor his little brother. "You probably shouldn't rub that too much either. Hold out your hand - careful, it's hot."

Mikey switched the hand over his eyes and held out his left hand. A warm cup was placed in it and he automatically threaded a finger through the cup handle before tightening his grip. He felt Leo loosen his grip on the cup slightly but did not quite let go, so Mikey told him. "I got it."

Mikey felt Leo move back. "Okay. Anything I can get for you, Raph?"

"Naw, I'm good." Raph replied over the sudden surge of blasters firing and in game citizens yelling. "Go back to bed."

"Come get me if you need anything-"

"Ug, Leo! It's just a cold, stop _hovering_. Go to bed."

Mikey didn't need to see to know that Raph was doing an exasperated eyeroll. He hid his grin by taking a drink of tea, then puckered his lips at the taste. Leo always made really strong ginger tea that had a spicy bite to it - something that Leo and Splinter seemed to enjoy. But the honey mixed in helped take the bite away and as he heard Leo sigh and start to move away he quickly swallowed it so he could speak.

"Hey, thanks Leo."

A cool hand rubbed his head affectionately in reply and Mikey soaked it up, letting it wash away his fever induced irritation. "Anytime Mikey. Try and get some sleep."

He gave a neutral hum as the hand drew away. He certainly would try and would gladly welcome the chance to fall asleep but at the same time he wasn't sure how successful he'd be. Leo's presence drifted up the stairs and faded as he reached the second level.

The rag was starting to make his eyes feel a little too cold and so he tugged it off, flicking his wrist to toss it onto the wooden tray Leo had left behind. He shifted around and dug his shell more comfortably into the couch cushions, before looking over at the TV screen.

"Which bounty you after?" he asked before taking a sip of tea, puckering his lips again.

"Boocanno. Worth 50k."

"Oh, he's that three legged alien that looks like a kangaroo? Man, he's tough."

"Yeah, he already skipped out on me twice."

Mikey nodded his head as he swallowed another mouthful. No, drinking it faster didn't do anything for the taste but his throat didn't seem to protest as much. "He moves ridiculously fast when he knows you're - oh wait, wait, go back! You just missed a weapons upgrade in the alley!"

Raph grunted and obediently flipped the speeder around, nearly crashing it into a green hovercar before he got it off the main street.

"Which alley?"

"The one on the right - no your other right!"

"That's the left side, Mikey."

"You knew what I meant!"

Raph steered into the hard to see back alley that was _not_ on the right. Mikey swallowed the last of the ginger tea as Raph shot a vending machine to pieces to make it release the weapons bonus. "Ah, yes snare net. This'll help catch that kangaroo."

And now the hot tea was starting to make his nostrils run. Without taking his eyes off the game - Raph was speeding through the highways trying to catch up with his bounty and it was hard to look away from all the near crashes - Mikey reached blindly for the tissue box and tugged two sheets free.

He wiped the runny snot before pressing it against his nostrils, first the one side then the other. Finished, he crumpled it up and dropped it off the side of the couch before grabbing another handful. Yeah, he'd probably catch it later from Splinter or Donnie, but he figured it was worth it.

A bird like meow was the only warning he had before a bundle of orange fur jumped up into his lap, claws tightening against his skin through the blanket as the kitten wobbled around on his knees before finding a stable spot to settle down in.

"Whoa, Klunk!"

Thankfully the teacup was now empty or else the surprised jerk Mikey couldn't stop would have dumped hot liquid all over his chest. He hurriedly set the cup down on the table and scratched the cat under his chin, which set the feline purring. "Did you come to say hi to me?"

"Little beast woke me up tonight, clawing at my hammock supports and wouldn't stop until I got up and chased him away." Raph snorted and glanced away from the screen.

"Really?" Mikey was surprised. While it had only been a week since he'd brought Klunk home on Christmas Day, the young cat hadn't shown any inclination to scratch at things. Well, at least not since Mikey had set up a scratching board using old cardboard boxes, plastic from some salad container and glue. Donnie had been quite understanding about the incident.

"Yah. Was going to put him in your room and get back to sleep but then I heard you coughing. That thing is almost as annoying as you are, Mikey."

None the less, despite his rough tone, Raph reached over and scratched the top of the orange cat's head briefly before returning his hand to the game controller.

"That's my little buddy," Mikey managed to say, his voice turning rough again. Wincing and holding back a cough, Mikey reached for the thermos and unscrewed the lid. Not bothering with the teacup, he slurped the hot tea and let out a sigh of relief as it soothed the pain in his throat.

Whatever you might say about his cooking, Leo knew how to make the perfect batch of licorice root tea. Not so strong that the earthy taste overrode the flavor, but just light enough so you could add honey without making it sickeningly sweet.

He took another drink before having to set the thermos back down and grab more tissue for his running nose. As he crumpled it up, he went back to watching Raph chase after the three legged alien bounty, snickering as a snare net toss went wild and tangled around a trash can.

"Quiet, Mikey." Raph grumbled, mashing the buttons. "I'm only half awake."

Mikey's comeback was lost in a round of coughing which, Mikey realized as he swallowed more tea, was probably for the better. Snapping back with a "is that why your shoe's untied" wasn't a very good line and he blamed it on the fever. Better wait till he was better to continue teasing Raph.

He wiped his nose again and started to sip some more tea, only to hold it away as more coughing clawed its way up from his chest and into his throat. He could feel some phlegm loosen in his throat but no matter how hard he coughed it didn't seem to do anything but tickle his throat and worsen the coughing. When it didn't end he struggled to sit up straighter on the couch, grateful that he had the armrest to push up against. Gah, when did his back become so sore?

Raph reached over and plucked the thermos of tea out of his hands as he kept coughing, for which Mikey was thankful. Sticky tea water and a damp blanket was not something he wanted to deal with right now. With his hands free he grabbed the blanket edge and buried his face into the soft material, trying to muffle his coughs, squeezing his eyes shut.

_Ug, just stop already!_

Fingers started massaging and squeezing his feet systematically. After what felt like forever - though he knew it could barely have been a minute - Mikey felt his coughing ease to the point that he could finally draw a breath in without having to cough it up right away. Another half minute and the tickle went away, leaving behind a sore and throbbing throat. He raised his head up enough to peek an eye at Raph over the blanket.

"Thanks, Raphie," he said and winced at the sound of his own voice. Forget the bullfrog stuck in the throat. This was way worse. More like King Kong crossed with an alligator of the mutant kind.

Raph gave his feet one final squeeze before pulling his hands away and tucking the blanket around them again. "Don't try and talk too much. You'll just aggravate your throat."

"What, you don't want me yacking your ear off?" Mikey couldn't help but tease, only to pay for it by having to cough again. Thankfully it was just two weak ones, but it still got his throat throbbing even more. Ug, and now his eyes were burning again.

Raph rolled his eyes. "There are plenty of other ways for me to shut you up when you're being annoying. Want your tea back? And don't rub your eyes!"

Mikey managed to make his snort both amused and annoyed without getting snot all over himself. He stuck his hands out and Raph placed the still warm thermos into one hand, the wet rag in his other. He took a long slow gulp of tea, letting the herb do its magical work of soothing his throat.

"I. Hate. Being. Sick." He grounded the statement out, draping the rag over his eyes again. His rough voice helped convey his utter loathing. Being sick was so wrong in so many different ways.

Raph gave his feet a pat but it was quick and distracted as he dodge incoming fire from some lowlifes on the video game. "I hear you. Just hang in there."

Mikey just made a noise in the back of his throat and tried to relax against the couch armrest. Nursing the thermos of tea, he pulled the rag away and watched through tired eyes as Raph managed to take down the three aliens shooting at him. Klunk stirred, stretched and unexpectedly slide off Mikey's leg. Klunk blinked, then decided he liked the new spot and settled back down. Absently Mikey reached a hand out to pet the cat, triggering another round of loud purrs.

Two captured bounties in, he started drifting off without realizing it, his eyes drifting half closed.

It was only after he almost spilled the thermos over himself that he realized he was starting to fall asleep. Raph quickly rescued the thermos from Mikey's slack grip, turned the game system off and moved a complaining Klunk to the side so Raph could pull Mikey to his feet.

The younger turtle helped as best as he could. With sleep insistently tugging at his eyes now, though, he was clumsy and he had barely had enough coherency left to leave the direction of travel up to Raph. He did somehow keep a grip on his blanket - hey, it was his favorite, so warm! - and was dragging it on the floor behind him before Raph heaved a sigh of long suffering and snatched it out of his grip. Bundling it under his arm, Raph steered Mikey towards the stairway.

Soon Mikey was curled up on his stomach on the carpet underneath Raph's hammock, his blanket bundled around him, snuggled up against one of Raph's many pillows. A hand ghosted over his forehead before patting him on his shell. Distantly he heard the sounds of Raph climbing into his hammock.

_My brothers are the best. Ever._ Was his last thought before drifting off to sleep.

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I have actually never had licorice tea (trying to correct that!), so if anyone has please let me know if I didn't describe the taste correctly. The massaging to stop a coughing fit I got from my mom doing it to us little kids when we were sick with the colds. It would often calm the coughing fit down, if not stop it completely.  
More chapters on the way and I will post the next one as soon as I finish editing it!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! Thank you everyone who read this story! It is my rule to post stories regardless of the amount of hits, follows or reviews - but it is very motivating. Yes, we will be seeing Donnie in this chapter. Out of curiosity, does anyone find these chapters too big? I personally love long chapters.

As I had started to work on this chapter I thought I would try to work from all the brothers perspectives, not just Mikey's. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but it certainly was good practice! In the end, after a rewrite or two (they let you know when you're writing wrong) I feel confident that I did them all justice. Enjoy!

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Despite the interruptions of last night, Raph woke up like normal in the morning. Of course, normal for him meant slowly becoming aware of his surroundings, opening his eyes enough to squint at the clock and grumbling into his pillow while he waited for the rest of his body to catch up with his mind.

At least he had the satisfaction of knowing that Don also had trouble waking up in the morning. Only Mikey and Leo seemed to be able to bounce out of bed the moment they woke up. That is, if you could wake Mikey up in the first place.

A whimper came from under his hammock.

_Oh. Speaking of Mikey..._

With some effort, Raph twisted in order to peer over the edge of his swaying hammock him without falling off.

Unsurprising, Mikey's blanket was tangled up all around him. Raph figured his little brother had picked up the habit when they were kids to keep the others from stealing it from him. Mikey _liked_ being warm, probably one reason he could stand hugging people to death.

Mikey twitched in his sleep as his face scrunched up in an unhappy frown. Another whimper was accompanied by the sleepy, raspy sound of his name.

"Raph..."

Raph could see that Mike was still asleep. It wasn't uncommon for Mikey to mumble out complete sentences; some made no sense at all and others that were surprisingly coherent. This, though, sounded distressed. Raph flexed his hands to make sure his muscles had woken up before twisting out of bed and landing next to his brother.

Kneeling down, he placed the back of his hand on Mikey's forehead. It was hot, possibly even hotter than yesterday, but it didn't feel burning hot. Still a relatively low fever then. Mikey shifted restlessly at the touch of his hand. Raph removed it, shaking his head, then placed it on his brother's shoulder and pressed on it firmly.

"Hey, Mike. I'm right here." He kept his voice low. He didn't want Mikey waking all the way up really, just enough to break out of whatever stupid dream he was having and fall back into real sleep. "Mikey."

Mikey mumbled something, a hand flopping in Raph's direction, his fingers curling as if searching for something. Making a noise of irritation but knowing how touch oriented his brother was, Raph slid his own hand into Mikey's and gripped it lightly.

Mikey's hands tightened around his in response and his eyes cracked open and looked up at Raph. For a split second Raph felt a flash of panic that he'd woken Mikey up. But then the younger turtle's eyes closed again, the distressed frown disappearing from his face as he took a single deep breath. Raph let out a breath of his own in relief. Dealing with a sick and feverish Mikey was always a practice in patience for Raph, no matter how much he loved the knucklehead. He didn't need to add sleep deprived on top of that.

Raph wiggled his fingers and extracted his hand out of Mikey's grip. The fact that Mikey didn't even twitch told Raph that Mikey was deep asleep. After tucking Mikey's arm under the blanket, Raph pushed himself to his feet, grabbed his sais from under his pillow and stumbled to the other side of his room where he put on the rest of his gear.

When Raph made his way down to the ground floor, he was not surprised to see Leo working on a set of katas, twin blades whirling to a whistle as he started upping his speed with each repetition.

Typical Leo. Even on a holiday he always did some form of practice - sometimes more than on a regular day. Raph barely held in a snort as he made his way to the kitchen. Sure, he'd probably do a little routine himself. But he enjoyed a break from the mundane workouts because t meant more time for other things. Like working on his motorcycle. Last time he had used it the brakes had felt a little stiff.

There was no Don in the kitchen; the coffee pot was empty and cold which meant the genius hadn't woken up yet. Hopefully Don hadn't been working late last night in his room, as he was known to do when Splinter suspended regular training for the holidays.

Stretching for the ceiling with a big yawn, Raph shuffled over to the coffee pot and starting going through the motions of cleaning it out and setting it up to make a new batch of coffee. Eventually the smell should wake up Donnie, where ever the genius was.

He had just pressed the button start the machine when Leo stepped into the kitchen. Raph shifted to give him room.

Leo aimed for the sink. "How's Mikey doing?"

"Sleeping," Raph told him, then paused while Leo ran the water to splash his face and wash his hands. "His fever seems a little higher too."

"Poor Mikey." Leo snagged the dishtowel and dried himself off. He started to reach for his tea kettle but paused halfway through the motion. "Uh... does this mean no breakfast?"

"...Aw, crud." Raph dragged a hand over his face. Why did he have to wake up today?

_Maybe there's a few twenties left in the money jar for take-out?_ Even as the thought came to him he dismissed it. It was still low from the Christmas party and Raph didn't think there was enough to feed them all. Better to save it for now; they'd survive without Mikey's cooking for a day or two.

At least he hadn't been up early doing a workout. He didn't bother stopping the smirk as Leo's stomach let out a little grumble.

~TMNT~

Donnie followed the wonderful smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of voices - Leo's and Raph's - down the stairs and towards the kitchen doorway. He yawned and scratched an itch on the back of his shoulder as he crossed the threshold only to stop and blink at the view in front of him.

Raph was in front of the open fridge door looking around inside, while Leo crowded close behind him, trying to see over Raph's shoulder and offering suggestions. A forgotten cup of tea was steaming on the counter nearby next to the teapot, evidence that Leo hadn't even finished his morning routine.

"What about eggs?"

"Only six of those, and that ain't enough to fill my stomach let alone yours."

As if in agreement, Leo's stomach let out a loud rumble. Raph snorted. "See, what'd I tell you?"

"Leave my stomach out of this, Raph. It doesn't know what it's talking about."

Was that humor Donnie detected in Leo's voice? Shaking his head at his brothers' antics, Donnie moved over to the coffee pot with another big yawn and checked the water level. Halfway filled already, less than a minute left to go before he could pour a cup. He headed for the cupboard where the cups were kept.

"Are you sure there aren't any leftovers?"

"Yes, I'm sure - see? Nothing there. I don't even think Mike made anything last night."

"Then what is there?"

"Geez, Leo, give me some breathing room here, will you?"

Raph shrugged his shoulders, clipping his shell on Leo and nearly catching his chin in the process. Leo backpedaled and ending up stumbling slightly, nearly bumping into Donnie just as Donnie was reaching into the open cupboard. Don quickly cupped his hand around the bottom corner of the cupboard door, pulling it slightly closed on his arm, to prevent Leo from banging his head.

Leo managed to catch himself on the counter before he got too close. He twisted around to look behind him. "Oh, good morning Donnie."

"Morning, Leo. Raph," Donnie replied as he fished out his cup and closed the cupboard. Raph grunted a greeting from the fridge, which he still had open. Don raised an eyebrow, glancing meaningfully between Leo and Raph still poking around and opening drawers in the fridge. "What are you two up to?"

"Breakfast," Leo told him, as though it should have been obvious.

Donnie gave him another look before moving back to the coffee machine which, was starting to gurgle on the last drops of water. "By keeping the fridge door open and letting out all the cold air? You know Mikey's going to be ticked if anything spoils in there."

"Just seeing what we can make for breakfast." Raph shot a glare at Donnie over his shoulder, then reached in and snagged something before finally closing the fridge. "Looks like there's some meat here that needs to get cooked up. Any suggestions on what to put in with it?"

He held up a package of beef round and looked between Donnie and Leo.

"Uh, why _are_ we making breakfast?" Don asked as he poured a cup of coffee. Sliding the pot back in, he wrapped his hands on the almost too hot to hold mug and took a seat at the table. "Not that I'm complaining, really, but... Oh, wait. Mikey's movie marathon last night."

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't heard a peep from Mikey. But that wasn't unusual after his little brother stayed up practically the whole night watching science fiction and monster movies. Hmmm, perhaps today would be a good time to start some projects.

"Actually, he's sick," Leo corrected him as he picked up his tea cup and took a drink.

Donnie paused halfway through a drink of his own, blinking in surprise. "What, really? He was just fine when I left him watching his second movie last night..."

"I found him in bed coughing and running a fever." Raph dropped the package on the counter and pulled out a cutting board. "Speaking of which, he's in my room sleeping and he seemed pretty warm to me. Mind to check on the squirt later?"

"Sure, Raph." Donnie knew it was better safe then sorry when it came to fevers, possible lung infections, and turtles that lived in the sewers. Even if they kept their part of the sewers clean. "Probably came down with something from all that running around he did last week in the snow."

"Probably. Not to mention all the running around he did afterward," Raph agreed, then tapped the package. "With that out of the way, I still haven't heard any suggestions here. Unless you two aren't hungry and don't need breakfast?"

Don snorted at the hopeful look that Raph gave him and Leo. Leo rolled his eyes and told his younger brother bluntly. "Not in your life, Raph."

"There's always a chance."

"A zero point zero zero three percent chance!" Donnie snapped back, then cocked his head to the side as he mentally went through breakfast ideas that was within the skill range of the three of them. While they didn't have the same finesse as Mikey, the three of them could manage. "Could throw in some fried vegetables."

Leo snapped his finger and straightened up, reaching down to open a bottom cabinet. "Hey, what about a noodle stir fry? I'm pretty sure there's some udon noodles down here. I can get those cooking. And I can manage the rest of the stir fry."

"I've got the meat." Raph sliced open the package of meat and pulled it onto the cutting board. "Leo, can you get a frying pan while you're down there?"

"Yeah, on it."

Donnie got up and opened the fridge. First he grabbed the carton of cream, noting how light it was, and poured some into his cup. Taking a gulp of his coffee, he placed the cream back in the fridge and decided to get the vegetables out. Coffee cup in one hand, vegetable bags in the other, he moved over to the sink just as Leo was finished filling up his pot with water.

"Leo, think we can do a supply run? I know we weren't planning to go for a supply run till next week," he said as he gave the celery and broccoli a quick rinse before shaking them dry. "But it looks like we're low on some of the staples already."

"Things have probably quieted down enough for us to go out and do some scavenging without running into too many crowds," Leo said in that slow voice that said he was thinking at the same time. "You think the stores will have done their inventory change by now?"

Donnie set the vegetables down in order to take a sip of coffee, thinking the question over quickly in his head. Normally the stores around their lair area restocked (and therefore, threw out in nearby dumpsters) items in the middle of the week. But there had been Christmas holiday last week and now New Year's weekend had just finished up... "There's a high chance of it, yes. Besides, the weather report says there's supposed to be more snow coming down in three more days."

"Better get it done today then, even if we don't get as much as usual," Raph grunted as he finished chopping. He slid the cut pieces into the pan that Leo had heating on the stove. The sound of sizzling meat filled the kitchen.

Donnie held out his hand to Raph, waggling his fingers and Raph handed over the knife as he kept talking. "Don't want to get stuck with no food and two feet of snow on top of every manhole within five miles."

Leo nodded his head as he handed Raph a wooden stirring spoon. "And I think we have enough grocery money set aside so we can always have April and Casey get us anything we can't find. Here, Donnie, let me cut those up. Why don't you go check on Mikey already?"

"Okay." Don handed Leo the freshly washed knife and the rag he'd been about to dry it off with, then pushed the vegetables toward his older brother before snatching up his cup of coffee. Hmm, half empty already. He moved back over to the machine and poured some more black liquid into it. A quick swing by the fridge and he had more cream mixed in and a can tucked under his arm.

"Don't burn anything while I'm gone," he remarked over his shoulder as he walked out of the kitchen. Raph's chuckle of amusement and Leo's exclamation of dismay followed him out.

"Hey! Yeesh, one time! One time and you guys never forget - not even Mikey!"

"Heh, and we always say he has bad memory."

"Only for things he doesn't want to remember. Reminds me of some other people in our family."

Donnie snorted into his coffee at the last comment that drifted out into the lair from Leo. Good thing the two of them were busy cooking or else he would worry about a minor disagreement flaring up before noon. As he moved towards the stairs he noticed Splinter standing by the entertainment corner, looking down in puzzlement at something on the floor but out of Donnie's sight.

"Morning, Sensei," Don called as he started up the stairs.

Splinter looked up, a smile on his face. "Ah, good morning Donatello. Tell me, is your brother Michelangelo up yet?"

"Not yet," Don replied, though in truth he wasn't sure. Raph had said Mikey was still sleeping, though. "Raph said he got sick last night. I'm on my way to check on him now."

"Ah." Splinter nodded, his shoulders relaxing. "That explains this mess. Very well."

With the height advantage of the stairs, Donnie could now see Splinter using his walking stick to carefully herd wads of kleenex into a pile. Shaking his head, Don hopped up the last of the steps, careful not to spill his coffee, and headed for Raph's room.

~TMNT~

_He was trying to land the ship. But it kept sliding sideways and the asteroid in the viewscreen kept twisting and spinning like a maniacal spinning top toy._

_"Raph," he shouted. "Do something about those engines!"_

_But Raph couldn't, he suddenly realized, as one often did in a dream. Because it had to be a dream, right? Raph was busy hunting down a bounty loose on board the ship. But wait, did Raph even have the right weapon? The bounty moved very fast! Wait, he was probably the reason why the ship was swaying side to side so terribly. He better help Raph!_

_He was out of the cockpit seat and running down metal hallways within the next blink. The hallways twisted and slanted sideways without rhyme or reason. Where was Raph? He thought Raph had told him to go left at the junction, but all that was there was empty cargo bays. They really needed to load up the ship at the next stop or else they wouldn't be making a profit. Wait, is that why Raph was trying to be a bounty hunter?_

_Where was Raph?_

_"Raph!" he called, only to have his voice echo back at him. Funny, he hadn't thought the ship was this big! The four of them took up a lot of room. Wait, had they already landed on the asteroid base? Maybe Raph had left the ship. He didn't like being alone in these halls, especially when he hadn't had time to ask Donnie to fix the lights._

_Suddenly a hand grabbed his and pulled him into a room that was warm and wasn't spinning. In fact, for a moment it looked a lot like Raph's room with Raph standing in the center with his signature smirk, arms crossed._

"Mikey."

Mikey blinked.

Raph's room didn't disappear but instead of Raph standing in the center of the room there was Donnie, kneeling right next to him. His older brother had a hand on Mikey's shoulder and Mikey became aware of Donnie rocking him.

"Come on, sleepy head," Don said when he noticed Mikey's eyes were open and struggling to focus, that invisible smile on his face. "Time to wake up."

"Hey, Donnie," Mikey managed to croak out before letting out a cough. He winced as it set off a multitude of aches and pains from his throat to his diaphragm. Pushing himself up, he cleared his throat painfully and tried again. "What's up?"

Donnie eyed him critically and reached out a hand to touch Mikey's forehead briefly. "I'm supposed to be asking you that. How are you feeling?"

"Achy," Mikey replied without hesitation. He sniffed his nose and wiped the crust from his eyes under Don's watchful eye.

"I'm not surprised. You still feel feverish. Any trouble breathing at all, shortness of breath, difficulty coughing?"

Mikey shook his head gingerly. "Just stuffy nose."

"Alright. Let's take your temperature." Donnie dug into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a thermometer. He held it out to Mikey.

"Really, Don?" Mikey grumbled but took the thermometer none the less. "Didn't you already feel that I have a fever?"

"I want to know the actual numbers, Mikey," Donnie explained with a touch of exasperation. "Just put it in your mouth; it doesn't take that long. And give me your wrist."

With the thermometer in his mouth Mikey wasn't able to reply clearly, so he kept his mouth closed and stuck out his arm. Besides, his throat was hurting a little more from all the talking and he was more than willing to give it a break.

Donnie took his arm and placed a finger on his wrist, eyes narrowing in concentration. Mikey suddenly realized why Donnie had given him the thermometer. It was to prevent Mikey from piping up with random numbers to try and mess up the mental counting Donnie was doing. Mikey made sure to grumble wordlessly around the thermometer and was rewarded with a smirk on Donnie's face.

The thermometer beeped and Mikey took it out of his mouth, glancing at the number before handing it over to Donnie. Normal, low grade fever. "You take all the fun out of being sick."

"Says who?" Donnie reached behind him and pulled out a green soda can, popping it open and holding it out to Mikey. "The question is how you manage to have the energy to be mischievous at all."

"But I'm bored." Mikey coughed again - hard - then snagged the nearby tissue box and blew his nose before accepting the can. "What else am I suppose to do?"

"You just woke up!" Donnie raised an eyeridge at him. "That's a new record, even for you."

"Yes, but I already know I won't be able to read any of my comics, I can't focus on the words long because of these itchy eyes - I am _not_ scratching them, Donnie!" Mikey batted at Donnie's hand in irritation and dropped his hand away from his face with a grumble. "And if I try to play any of my games I'll end up losing so much I'll be in danger of being angry like Raph!"

"You goof." Donnie just laughed and shook his head, looking down at the thermometer. "Hmmm... a low grade fever for now and your pulse is normal. Looks like you just have the usual cold - let's keep it that way, yeah?"

"Agreed," Mikey replied fervently. He didn't want to be any sicker then he was already. He finished the can, his throat feeling better from the bubbly soda, and crumpled it up in his hand. Before he had a chance to toss it at random, Don took it from him with a pointed look as he pitched it in Raph's trash can. Mikey rolled his eyes in response. "Yes, _mom_."

"Don't forget it and I won't have to keep reminding you." Donnie tucked the thermometer away and stood up, offering him a hand. "Want to come on downstairs? Leo and Raph are making breakfast."

"Oh, yes." Mikey rubbed his hands together. "Drink! Food! Revive my soul!"

Then Mikey got to his feet, using Donnie's hand to help pull himself up, and his entire perspective changed. His nose started to itch and the ache in the back of his throat broke out in a coughing fit, which made his back and joints feel even more achy. He wobbled as he coughed, his energy and balance suddenly vanishing down some mysterious black hole and he latched onto Raph's hammock's support poles. As the coughing stopped, he looked up at Donnie, who had moved up beside him and was patting him on the back.

"I hate being sick," He told him miserably.

"I know." Don gave him one more pat. "Still hungry?"

Mikey actually thought about the question, turning it over in his mind and pointedly asking his stomach for feedback before nodding his head. "Yeah, a little."

"Good." Donnie tugged him towards the doorway. "Because I was going to make you eat something anyways. Still, I bet you'll feel a little better with some hot food in you."

Mikey and Don made it downstairs in time to hear a yowl from the kitchen.

"Owww! Klunk, you little troll!"

Mikey laughed. "So that's where Klunk went off to. Are they cooking meat in there? I bet they are."

There was another yelp, this one followed by a very Raph like snarl. "Klunk, quit it! Sheesh! Ow, okay, okay! Mikey sure knows how to spoil you - no, don't look at me like that, you little orange gremlin. If you're looking for more handouts, go find Mikey."

They walked into the kitchen in time to catch Raph scowling at the orange kitten sitting at his feet. The cat was licking his lips and blinking his green eyes innocently. Mikey snickered, deciding it would make a great comic picture. He'd have to draw some day. "Gee, Raph, don't you know cats are cute and cuddly?"

"He's your pet," Raph grumbled, turning back to the pan. "I'm not surprised he's just plain annoying."

"Awww, who's da Klunkers?" Mikey knelt down, held out his hand and tried to call the kitten but ended up coughing into the elbow of his other arm instead. Klunk responded, though, leaving his attempts to wrap himself around Raph's ankles and trotting over to Mikey instead, bumping his head against Mikey's fingers. He let Mikey scratch him around the ears for a second before sniffing at Mikey's fingers and, finding nothing of interest, looking up at his face and meowed insistently.

Mikey coughed again before cocking his head at the kitten. "What is it, Klunk?"

The kitten meowed again, wrapping around Mikey's ankle before nipping at the terrapin's calf. It didn't break the turtle's tough skin, but it tickled and caught Mikey by surprise - the kitten had never done that to him yet. He let out a yelp that turned into a squeak as he stumbled backwards only to trip over his own feet and sit down hard on his rear. He felt it all the way up to his head. "Owww, Klunk! Daddy's sick."

"Good little gremlin," Raph's voice rumbled in amusement, throwing him a smirk. "That's what he was doing to me."

"And me," Leo pipped up from where he was dumping the noodles into a strainer in the sink. "Even though I didn't have anything."

"Huh." Mikey pulled himself heavily into a nearby chair and placed his head on the cool table, mumbling. "He hasn't done that before... wonder what's gotten into him..."

"You doing okay, Mikey?" Donnie asked, setting a hot cup in front of him.

"Yeah..." Mikey heaved a sigh as he smothered another cough and pulled the cup towards him, peeking over the rim. As expected, tea. Probably from whatever Leo had decided to brew that morning. "Just tired again...Can't wait for - oh!"

He sat up and looked from Klunk to the kitchen corner. "Did anyone feed Klunk?"

Three older brothers looked at him blankly for a second. Then Donnie snapped his fingers and, after sternly telling Mikey to stay in his seat, hunted for the cat food. Somehow figuring out what was going on, Klunk abandoned trying to nip at Mikey in favor of hovering around Donnie, meowing loudly, as Don pulled out the new bag of cat food and filled the small bowl on the floor.

No longer having to deal with a kitten trying to trip them up, Raph and Leo put the finishing touches on the stir fry breakfast and within moments had it all dished up on the table. As Leo went to fetch Splinter from watching the morning news, Don grabbed cups and the remaining jug of milk from the fridge.

Mikey eyed the milk with longing but knew from experience that it wouldn't be pleasant on his rough throat. So he blew bubbles into his cup of tea, smirked at the annoyed look he got from Raph who was sliding into his chair, and took a sip. He scrunched his nose at the taste; some sort of mint tea that he probably knew the name of but wasn't going to make the effort to remember. He had to admit that it didn't hurt his throat and seemed to help ease the ache in his sinuses.

Donnie refilled his coffee before joining his brothers at the table, adding some milk to the black drink. He and Raph were already snarfing down when Leo and Splinter joined them at the table.

"Ah, Michelangelo," Splinter rested a hand on Mikey's shoulder. "I heard you were sick. How are you feeling?"

Mikey smiled. "Good morning, Sensei. I'm doing okay."

"Good to hear. Be sure to eat as much as you can for strength." Splinter patted his shoulder before moving to his chair, accepting the cup of tea Leo handed him.

As meals went, this one was relatively quiet. While they ate, Leo told Splinter that they would be going for a supply run. It was habit more then actually feeling hungry that allowed Mikey to eat the food on his plate. He made sure to compliment Leo and Raph on their cooking skills. Still, he only managed to eat half the serving on his plate and gave the rest to a more than willing Raph, who cleaned it up in seconds.

After the meal, Mikey made his way over to the entertainment area of the lair and curled up on the couch. The meal and tea had helped ease his sore throat and his fever was gone for the moment. But he wasn't feeling very energetic and that in itself was frustrating. He wanted to go on a supply run! Go skateboarding on the sidewalks and harass a hard working Raph. Heck, just having enough energy to go dig out some of his comics would be great.

Heaving a sigh, he dug around for the TV remote before remembering that Splinter had been watching the TV last. Sure enough, the rat had placed it in view on the coffee table. Grabbing it up with a foot, Mikey flipped it into his hands and turned the TV on. Turning down the sound - for once the sound seemed too much for his ears - Mikey flipped through the channels for a minute before settling on an early morning car show from some place in England. The indistinct chatter of his brothers and clattering of breakfast dishes was a calming background noise.

He was watching the show with his eyes half closed when Donnie and Leo came around a few minutes later. Leo leaned on the back of the couch and Mikey stirred, opening his eyes.

"Hey, Leo. Heading out soon?"

"Yeah. Anything special you want us to look for?"

Mikey rolled the question around in his mind. Usually this was his chance to ask for something that he did want but was a bit outrageous to expect while doing a quick dumpster raid of the nearby stores. But he was too tired to think of something good that would make his brothers shake their heads and it was also too much effort to think of something that had a chance of showing up. He shook his head. "Nah, nothing comes to mind at the moment... are all of you going?"

"Well..." Leo started.

"Someone should stay with him." Raph pipped up as he joined the group. "Keep him out of Splinter's fur when he decides he's too bored to sit around."

"Hey!" Mikey sat up and gave a half hearted glare at Raph. "I don't make trouble just because I'm bored."

"Oh, yeah? Then what was it you said last week when you pulled that stunt... I coulda sworn you used the word bored."

"Well, maybe... but it was mainly out of curiosity!" Mikey scowled as he realized how weak that excuse sounded and lay back down with a huff. He just wouldn't be back up to standard until the sickness left him.

"Raph, Mikey..." Leo rolled his eyes.

Donnie reached over and felt Mikey's forehead. Mikey was surprised to feel Donnie's hand was cooler then his head. "Raph's right about one thing though. Mikey still has a fever running... why don't you guys go on ahead. I'll stay here and keep an eye on him."

"You don't have to," Mikey quickly assured his brother, while Leo piped up at the same time with an "Are you sure?"

Donnie straightened with a nod. "Of course. I can easily use the time to catch up on some other projects and repairs around the lair. If you take the Sewer Slider, you and Raph can still make a good haul."

Mikey let out a soft sigh of relief. He would have been just fine being by himself and Splinter would have been more than happy to take care of him. But he couldn't help but want at least one of his brothers around, to warm up the lair. Besides, Splinter had been using the downtime to explore and do some specific salvaging of his own.

"Aw, not the Sewer Slider. It's winter! Any water that thing splashes over the sides'll be freezing," Raph complained loudly, waving his arms.

"If both of you would just ease up on the throttle, you wouldn't have to deal with cold showers." Donnie said dryly. He crossed his arms and looked knowingly between his two brothers.

"Oh, well... heh, right, Donnie." Raph shifted his feet away from Donnie while Leo coughed and ducked his head slightly. "We'll go slow. Right, Leo?"

"Right. Uh, anything else?"

"I got the list, Leo; let's go." Raph tapped a fist against Mikey's shell before walking off. "Don't get inta any trouble, Mikey!"

Leo gave the couch a farewell pat before following after Raph. Splinter met them at the lair's main entrance with winter coats, hats and restitched gloves bundled in his arms. While Raph pulled his jacket on, Leo took a second to adjust his leather harness, sliding one of the ninjaken swords over so that both handles rested over one shoulder and recinching the straps. It made shrugging into his thick winter jacket and pulling them out a little easier even though it was not his preferred setup.

Splinter checked that the jackets fitted over their shells, tugging at the material of Raph's jacket where it had curled under itself on his back. Raph grunted and shrugged his shoulders, resettling the material as he pulled on his gloves. "Thanks, Splinter."

"You are welcome, Raphael. Now, be careful my sons. Keep watch of your surroundings and, more importantly, watch your footing."

"Yes, Sensei." Leo tugged on his gloves, then pulled a lever. The false wall covering the entrance to slid away. "We will."

Mikey coughed as the entrance rattled close again, rubbing at his nose. Don was there a second later, holding out the tissue box for him. He gratefully grabbed one.

"Anything I can get you, Mikey?"

"Uh..." Mikey paused to blow his nose. "Some more soda? And a blanket."

"Alright." Donnie set the tissue box down. "Be right back."

Donnie came back with one of the "living room" blankets tucked under his arm, a rag draped over his forearm, and a can of soda and bottle of water in each hand. Mikey took the blanket and rag readily, pressing the wet rag against his left eye but puckered his lips as Donnie set down the two bottles.

"I don't want to drink any water."

"Too bad, it's not negotiable." Don countered firmly. The look in his eye prevented Mikey from testing just how negotiable it was. "You need to stay hydrated as much as possible, so I want you to take a sip every... say every time a commercial comes on."

"But what if I turn off the TV?" Mikey had to point out, deciding to test the boundaries anyway. He set the rag down and picked up the soda can.

Don just looked at him and deadpanned. "I can wait. Can you?"

Drat, maybe he should have argued to have Raph stay with him instead. Raph was easy to pester and negotiate with. With Donnie, it somehow always came down to unspoken threats. Plus, Donnie was more than capable of waiting him out.

Just then the TV behind Don changed screens and Mikey couldn't hold back a groan as the commercials started to play. Donnie just smirked and raised an eyeridge as he held out the water.

Better get the torture over with, Mikey decided, so Donnie could go back to being a nice brother that pampers sick little Mikey. He snagged the bottle and took the smallest drink he could, wincing dramatically as it went down his throat. "There, happy?"

"Until the next commercial break."

Mikey let out another dramatic groan. Donnie just shook his head and went back to his computer station, ignoring Mikey's glare.


	3. Chapter 3

Longer chapters it is! Although, this one is the shortest in this story. x) Did some fun research (with surprising results) for this part. Half the time spent writing this story was with a cat in my lap - which is not as fun as it sounds. The demands were to have use of a hand (preferably the right hand) as a pillow. But I prevailed (kicking him out of the room helped)! Enjoy! Let me know if anything strikes you as odd.

* * *

Raph waited on the fire escape, hunched in his jacket, resisting the urge to rub his hands together. He could sense Leo at the corner below and to the right of him, waiting as well. Things had gone well for them. This early in the morning, most people were staying in from the cold if they could, or hurrying to their daily destinations. But at this last stop they had almost run into the two humans that were already there, doing the same thing they were.

"Anything more, J?" the bundled up human standing outside the dumpster asked, shifting the canvas bag from one hand to the other.

"Yeah, but nothin' we don't have already." The one sitting carefully on the edge of the half filled dumpster dusted his hands together and swung his legs out. "Let's get our bounty home already. It's freezing!"

Raph swallowed the snort of irony that wanted to burst out. As if he weren't feeling cold enough already without someone mentioning it. He waited with growing impatience for the humans to trundle out to the main street. The instant they were out of sight, he jumped down and jogged over to the dumpster.

"Raph!" Leo's voice called out, scolding. Raph just rolled his eyes and hauled himself up the edge of the dumpster as he heard Leo coming up behind him. "You're supposed to check for anyone else."

"That's what you're for," Raph told him over his shoulder. Hmm, if he carefully pushed that bag out of the way, he could slide into the dumpster properly. It also looked like the human that had been digging around earlier had kindly left some of the more desirable goods on top. "You're still sore I nailed you good with my snowballs."

"Yeah," came the unexpected answer. "I am. And like Splinter said, a peeved ninja is a vengeful ninja. Hold that pose."

"Wha-"

Raph looked up in time to catch a face full of snow. Soft, morning sun premelted snow that was more like slush than anything else but still freezing cold. He sputtered in surprise as it ran down his face and under his jacket, accidentally released his hold on the dumpster and dropped to the ground. As he landed he felt a foot snag his ankle and tug just enough to unbalance him, sending him on his back, windmilling and snarling.

For a split second he rocked on the center of his shell, balanced perfectly in a way that made it difficult to reach the ground with his hands or his feet. The next second he used his legs to rock himself onto his shoulders and execute a kip up.

"Why you - get back here, Leonardo!"

As little as it was, the few seconds he had been on the ground was all the time Leo had needed to scramble into the dumpster. It effectively prevented Raph from taking a quick retaliating swing at his brother. But that had never stopped Raph before, of course. He hauled himself up the side of the dumpster again and swung a fist, tagging Leo in the shoulder.

Hard.

"Ow, Raph!"

"That's for getting snow under my collar!"

"It was just one snowball! I still can feel the spot on my head where you got me with yours!"

"Yeah? Well tough! I've got wet spots all over me now - as if it wasn't cold enough already!" Raph swung another fist but Leo was ready this time and deflected it with a grin.

"I thought a hothead like you wouldn't feel the cold," Leo teased as he reached for a clear garbage bag bulging withfruit and carefully picked the knot open.

Raph noticed Leo watching him and moved his hand swiftly, smirking when Leo twitched at the fake out. He settled against the top edge of the dumpster, satisfied for the moment. "Say, where _did_ you dig up that much snow? I thought it was all gone an hour ago."

Leo glared at him and held out a handful of oranges. "Around the corner, there was some in the shade. Now make yourself useful and take this stuff."

"Whateva." Raph kicked off the side of the dumpster and dropped back to the street. Reaching up, he took the load of fruit from Leo and placed it carefully in the canvas bag Leo had dropped. "You just watch your back, Fearless Leader."

Leo rolled his eyes as he handed him some more groceries. "Between you and Mikey? Always."

Followup revenge issued and acknowledged; Raph and Leo focused back on the task at hand. Leo ended up doing most of the work since the dumpster wasn't full enough for Raph to reach in and too small for both of them to be in it. Whenever Leo had to take the time to carefully paw through the knee deep bags, looking for anything fresh or still packaged, Raph would pull himself up and hang on the lip of the dumpster. While occasionally kicking against the metal siding he would offer up comments and advice - helpful according to Raph, _not_ according to Leo.

After roughly thirty minutes Leo declared that they'd gotten the most they could and Raph, shivering slightly as a gust of wind worked its way under his coat, readily agreed. Leo swung himself up and out of the lid but as Raph was about to slid off the edge, a glossy reflection flapping in the wind caught his eye and he quickly saw the skateboard splashed across the cover.

"Hey, hold up Leo." he called, grabbing the dumpster edge and hoisting himself halfway up. Legs kicking for balance, he reached out and snagged the magazine, sliding back to the ground.

"Raph?" Leo questioned, pausing halfway to the corner.

Raph flipped the magazine around, carefully brushing off some lint clinging to it. It was already wrinkled from being out in the weather but the bold numbers "43" proudly proclaimed its name and a quick check of the date told him it was practically current. Jogging over to Leo, he held it up.

"Skating magazine." he explained as he followed Leo down the narrow street. "Figure a little something for Mikey."

"Good one!" Leo quickly pulled a spare plastic bag from the canvas bag and held it out. "Here, let's keep it as dry as possible."

Raph took it and wrapped the magazine as they reached their manhole. Grunting, he reached down and wrangled the lid off one handed. Leo dropped down first before reaching back up to take the canvas bag of supplies that Raph handed down. Checking the area one last time for any prying, unseen eyes, Raph ducked into the damp but slightly warmer tunnel and wrestled the lid back into place.

When they got to the Sewer Slider Raph carefully tucked the magazine into a protected spot to prevent it from getting sat on or splashed by sewer water, then helped Leo pack their most recent findings.

Stepping back, he dusted his gloves off against his legs and eyed the pile. "Think that's about enough?"

"Let's see..." Leo ticked off the list with his fingers. "We got plenty of fruit, some vegetables as well as eggs and creams. We even scored big on some fish from Alan's Mart and a jug of milk."

"But we haven't found any soft drinks or that many dry goods," Raph reminded him. Though that wasn't too surprising. The majority had already been snatched up by divers who didn't have to be cautious about anyone seeing them. Whatever was leftover had been ruined from snow melting and getting into the bags, though they had been able to salvage a few.

Apparently Leo thought the same thing. "After five stores, I don't think we'll find anything else. We'll get them on our regular runs. Besides, people are starting to get out and about. Let's swing by April's and then head home."

"Fine with me." Raph jumped into the driver's seat and started up the machine.

~TMNT~

"I'm hot!" Mikey complained, kicking off his blanket. It landed in a crumpled pile on the floor. He got a disgusted look on his face and swiped at his neck and arms. "And I'm sweating... and it's all sticky and, and itchy!"

"Take it easy, Mikey," Donnie soothed automatically, looking up from his nearby corner in the lair. "It's a good thing. You're sweating out all the toxins."

Mikey glared at him over the back of the couch, swiping at his neck. "Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better."

Donnie finished tightening the bolt and set the radio unit next to a power regulator box. Placing his tools where he would find them again, he pushed himself to his feet and tiptoed through the mess of parts he had laying around him. Once clear of the repair debris zone, he made his way over to Mikey and placed the back of his hand on Mikey's forehead.

"Huh, feels like you don't have a fever anymore. Maybe - Mikey!"

"Whu?" The sea-green terrapin looked up innocently as if he had not just been gnawing on his brother's arm.

Donnie yanked his wrist out of Mikey's grip. "I take it this is you're way of telling me your hungry as well?"

"Now that you mention it..."

Donnie rolled his eyes. He had felt the cold sweat on Mikey's arms, despite the almost normal temperature of his forehead. And Mikey getting chilled while still recovering wasn't good. Swiping at the patch of arm where he was sure his brother had drooled, he said. "Fine. How about you take a bath and I'll get you some food?"

"A bath?" Mikey hesitated, rubbing at his neck as he weighed the idea in his mind. "Yeah, sure. That sounds good."

~TMNT~

"What are you putting in, Donnie?" Mikey asked with trepidation as he eyed the brown bottle the turtle had in his hand. He wouldn't put it past his brother to try and test something out on him. Really, there weren't even any teeth marks on the gnawed arm.

"Relax, Mikey." Donnie unscrewed the cap and poured the whole bottle of liquid into the filling tub. "This is just some hydrogen peroxide. Nothing bad."

"...oh, HPO, okay - hey!" Mikey started to reply automatically before suddenly realizing what the unlabeled bottle had in it. "That's the stuff that we put on cuts! Donnie, that stuff stings! Now you polluted my bath water with that stuff?"

Mikey waved his arms expressively, scowling at Donnie unhappily. He had certainly called it! Here Mikey was looking forward to washing all the sticky icky sick feeling off and Donnie was pouring medicine into his nice warm bath. Okay, so it wasn't necessarily an untested product, but Mikey was so not getting in without a fight.

"When diluted like this, it won't hurt at all." Donnie assured Mikey, sticking his hand into the water and swishing it around. "See?"

"Yeah, and Raph promised me the water was piping hot when we snuck into that school swimming pool," Mikey retaliated, crossing his arms. He couldn't hold the composure for long, though; a racking cough soon had him hunching his shoulders and covering his mouth with both hands.

"You goof." Donnie reached out and rubbed his head affectionately with his knuckles. "Looks like the steam is already helping your lungs clear out. Here, come on. Stick your hand in the water and try it out. I promise it won't hurt."

"Oh yeah? Then what is it supposed to do?" Despite his hesitation, Mikey scooted closer to the bathtub edge as Donnie shut the tap off.

"Help clear up your sinus and get rid of the virus."

"Huh." Mikey cocked his head at the water before timidly touching it with a fingertip, sliding his eyes over to Don. "That doesn't sound very spectacular. Not even an ounce of drama in it, Donnie?"

"Not dramatic enough?" Donnie rolled his eyes and couldn't help but laugh. He stood up and cleared his throat before launching into a long winded explanation, making sure to use his "science-y" voice, as Mikey liked to call it.

"It'll attack any exposed virus viciously on the molecular level and within seconds incinerate it with the power of oxidizing chemical reactions and the virus will die a horrible excruciating pain as it is literally burned away. The virus's last thoughts will be one of regret - that it should never have tried to take on the fortress that is known as Michelangelo." Donnie snapped the washcloth out as he struck a pose. "Okay, now will you get in?"

Mikey grinned, his eyes dancing as he chirped. "For that? Sure! Look out virus, meet your doom!"

His dramatic declaration was nearly ruined when he placed one leg into the tub and lost his balance as he tried to swing his other one in. He was saved from a total face plant into the water by Donnie, who snagged his arm with an iron grip and held on until Mikey recovered and sheepishly got both feet into the tub.

"Gah, why does that always happen?" Mikey whined as he sank down into the tub. Donnie was right; there was no stinging... though there did seem to be more bubbles than usual. "My balance just goes _zing_. I hate it. Almost as much as the coughing."

As if waiting to be mentioned to manifest, a harsh coughing fit racked his lungs and he hunched his shoulders before leaning over the edge and spitting into the trash can that Don had pushed over with a foot. He settled back into the tub with a groan, breathing in the warm steam before commenting hoarsely, "Okay, maybe not."

"With your stuffed up sinuses and everything else, I wouldn't be surprised if your inner ear is affected." Donnie patted Mikey's shoulder sympathetically. "And you being so sensitive to inner ear imbalance makes you that much more prone to losing your balance. Just be careful when you get out."

"Yippe," Mikey deadpanned, cupping water in his hands and splashing his face. "Why don't you guys ever get it?"

"Same reason you don't have any problems skateboarding across the rooftops. Here's some water if you get thirsty."

Donnie set Mikey's half full water bottle within reach, then dropped the washcloth into the water as he stood up. "I'm going to go get some tea started and make some soup for you to eat, but I'll check on you every once in a while. You should try to stay in there for at least twenty minutes."

"Okay." Mikey slide down until his chin touched the water. He still wasn't feeling very energetic and, despite the HPO stuff, the water felt nice.

Donnie left the bathroom, making sure to leave the door halfway open so he could hear any cries of "Man overboard!" while he got things together. There were advantages to having the kitchen right next to the washroom, when there was a little brother sick with a fever.

~TMNT~

They spent some time catching up with April and giving her extras from their findings - some yogurts, cold sandwiches that had survived the night and half a watermelon - before Raph and Leo made their way back to the lair just a little after twelve noon.

Parking the Sewer Slider in the new, still under renovation "garage" section, the turtles filled their arms with groceries and made their way into the lair. Leo bumped the door button with his elbow and smiled as the sounds of a video game and hoarse shouting greeted them.

"Watch out! Reload, Don, reload!"

"I can't! I'm out of ammo!"

"Then run! Run, run!"

"What do you think I'm doing? Now help me spot some yellow ammo!"

"Ack! Watch out for the angry mob!"

"Sounds like someone's feeling better," Leo comment to Raph as they stepped into the lair proper. He could see Donnie sitting on the couch with game controller in hand, his attention focused on the screen where one of their FPS games was playing. Mikey was next to him, crowding close and squeaking whenever an enemy got too close for comfort as Donnie's character ran through hallways.

"We're back,"

Leo called out as he stopped by one of Don's nearby tables, which was thankfully cleared off at the moment, and set the bags of groceries on top. Once his hands were free he started to pull off his winter gear. The lair was cozy and warm, a welcome relief from the city streets and tunnels.

"Welcome back," Donnie and Mikey chorused without removing their eyes off the fast-paced action on the TV screen.

Raph tugged off his gloves and started pulling his jacket off, a devious grin forming on his face. Leo opened his mouth to ask what he was up to but Raph shushed him with a frantic wave of his hand as he gave Leo his bundled jacket.

Knowing that his brother was up to no good, but too curious to protest, Leo closed his mouth and took the jacket, setting it on the table next to his own.

As Raph prowled silently across the floor, Leo trailed behind, careful not to focus too much on the sitting turtles and push against their energy bubbles. Distracted and sick though they might be, they were still ninjas.

Once he got within arm's reach, Raph closed in quickly on Don and Mikey from behind, sliding an arm around the back of their necks, purposely pressing his cold skin against theirs. "Hey, bros."

"_The shell-_" Mikey shrieked, his voice taking on a squeaky, cold induced pitch as he hit the higher vocals that only he could. In a flash he twisted out of Raph's grip before his brother could tighten his hold and bolted off and away from the couch.

"Raph!" Donnie yelped, the controller sent flying as he grabbed at Raph's arm and tried to peel it off, with little luck.

Leo laughed along with Raph, who still wasn't letting go of Donnie. "Wow, for ninjas, you guys look surprised."

"You are one _cold_ turtle!" Mikey snapped, hand going to the back of his neck and chaffing the skin vigorously. He coughed into the elbow of his other arm. "What was that for?"

"It's called the great outdoors," Raph flashed a smirk, giving Donnie a noogie. "I'm sharin' it."

"If you don't let me go, Raphael, I'll do some sharing of my own!" Donnie growled in annoyance and batted Raph's hand away before reaching up and twisting Raph's bandana.

Raph jerked back, his grip loosening, and Donnie pounced on the opening. Kicking his feet against the couch and making it shift a few inches, Donnie threw his whole weight backwards at Raph. Raph stumbled backwards at the sudden weight, failing to keep his balance, and both turtles fell to the floor.

Mikey threw himself onto the couch with a cheer, shaking his fist in the air. "Get him, Donnie!"

A thumb jab into Raph's shoulder and Don was able to yank the arm off his neck. Keeping a grip on Raph's wrist, Don rolled off his brother then spun on his shell to throw a leg across Raph's shoulder and chest before Raph could react. Donnie pulled Raph's arm straight and up against his own shoulder, pinning his brother down.

"Whoa, Donnie!" Raph grumbled, trying to wiggle loose. But Don's grip was tight and he had the upper hand with the leverage hold he was applying. He wouldn't let Raph injure himself but he also wasn't going to let go just yet. "Aren't you over reacting, just a little?"

"Oh, really?" Donnie dug his heel into Raph's plastron. "Do you know how close I was to beating that level? I've died five times already trying!"

"It's true," Mikey pipped up. "You should have seen him accidentally jump out the window thinking he still had his jet pack equipped. And he's supposed to be a genius."

"Mikey!" Donnie cried and with an 'eeep' Mikey ducked behind the couch backing. "We agreed not to mention the jet pack incident!"

"Sorry!"

"Okay, Don." Leo chuckled, grabbing the olive green turtle's shoulder. Donnie yelped and twisted away from Leo's grip, unintentionally kicking Raph hard in the ribs with his other foot, prompting a breathless "ow" from Raph. "Leo! Hands, cold!"

"What do you expect, I've been-" Leo only had a split second to recognize the gleam in Donnie's eyes and could only throw up his hands in an attempt to ward his brother off as Don released his hold on Raph and tackled Leo to the floor.

"I stay and take care of Mikey, and what do I get?" Don grinned as he grappled with Leo. "Cold shoulder returns!"

"Like you were working all that hard," Leo pointed out, grunting as he kept Donnie from getting a grip on his forearm. "You were playing a video game!"

"Which you interrupted!"

"No I didn't! Why are you blaming me all of a sudden?"

"Because you knew what Raph was going to do and as the oldest brother you take responsibility for him."

"Wait, what? I thought we agreed that Raph was Mikey's brother, not mine!" Leo spared enough attention to throw Raph a grin.

Donnie paused only for a second. "Oh no, he's most definitely your brother!"

Raph laughed at Leo. "Hey Fearless Leader, when you said you watched out for Mikey and me, you forgot about quiet Don here."

"Not helping!" Leo sputtered, finally succeeding in rocking side to side on his shell. Now if he could just get enough momentum to throw Donnie off-

Both wrestling turtles yelped as the floor suddenly disappeared from under them. It was a short drop off the retainer wall and they stopped almost as soon as they started falling. But landing on his shell with the unexpected weight of Don on top of him prompted an involuntary pained yelp from Leo.

"You alright?" Donnie asked quickly, pushing off of him as he automatically checked for serious injuries. Raph and Mikey came over to the edge, Raph questioning. "Leo?"

"I'm fine." Leo reassured them, pushing himself up and reaching back to rub his shell. "Just caught me by surprise."

"In that case!" Donnie sat up on his knees, arm going back.

"Whoa, wait!" Leo held up a hand, struck by sudden inspiration. "We brought home doughnuts!"

Don paused and cocked his head. "Doughnuts?"

"Yeah, the coffee kind!"

Don lowered his arm and Leo breathed a sigh of relief, sitting up properly.

"By the way." Donnie rocked back onto his heels, flicking the tails of his bandana over his shoulder. "Welcome back."

Leo busted out laughing and slugged Donnie in the shoulder before flopping back on the floor, three distinct pitches of laughter joining him.

* * *

Just one more chapter left to edit and post! It is about as long as chapter two, if not a good 1k longer, so plenty of reading still! By the way, you guys are awesome! I know I haven't gotten around to personally thanking new followers and those who left reviews, but I figured this is a good way of saying thanks and you might even prefer it that way. To my silent readers (I'm one too!), thank you as well for honoring me by stopping by and reading my story.


	4. Chapter 4

Final stretch folks! Thank you for sticking with me this long. I had a much harder time working this part out. Some scenes I was able to write without too much trouble but then connecting them all... arg! Head vs keyboard moments. And then I had to rewrite a major part because I figured that Splinter of all people would be there for the turtles when they are sick and while doing that Donnie decided that Leo knew enough and slipped out of the scene for the moment (you'll see which part I'm talking about). But I made it! Whew, enjoy!

* * *

With the help of Mikey and Donnie, they unloaded the groceries from the Sewer Slider into the kitchen within minutes and, while munching on doughnuts - with coffee in Donnie's case - went about putting away the various items.

"Looks like you got a good haul for going out in the morning instead of the evening," Donnie commented as he pulled items from the bags, sorting them neatly across the table for Leo and Raph to put away. Mikey sat at the other end of the table on the other end, keeping Klunk distracted with a toy to prevent him from tangling up with the moving feet and coughing intermittently. Which was why Donnie had banned him from handling the unbagged food.

"But now I remember why we went at night," Leo pointed out. "Not only is there more, but the dry goods get all soggy overnight."

"Remember when we'd eat that stuff?" Raph asked as he took the bag of apples and placed them in the fridge.

"Bleh!" Mikey made the dramatic gesture of wiping his mouth out. "Don't remind me! I'm perfectly fine forgetting about that taste of stale _and_ soggy bread 'n cheese. Whoa, Klunk!"

Klunk had jumped up onto the table, tail waving, and made a bee line for one of the bags, which he proceeded to claw at. Mikey snatched him before he could shred anything and cradled him, tickling him behind his ear and getting the kitten to purr. "What did you guys bring home?"

Donnie pulled the bag away and held up the two packages that were inside. "Cod fish! Sweet find, guys!"

"Oh yeah!" Mikey hugged Klunk before dropping the cat into his lap. "We're having fish tonight! What do you think, guys?"

Leo eyed his little brother. Mikey was sounding better than this morning and he didn't look feverish. But he was still coughing and Leo doubted the virus was beaten just yet. "You going to be up to it?"

"Umm..." Mikey cocked his head, thinking.

"Mikey's off cooking duty until he gets better," Donnie interjected. "No offense Mikey, but I'm not getting sick from you coughing all over the food."

Raph wrinkled his snout. "Ew, I agree."

"Yeesh, it's not like we haven't had the cold before." Mikey rolled his eyes before starting to cough. "Really, I'm feeling fine, and there's this super easy recipe with cheese too."

Leo walked over to him and patted his shoulder. "Sorry Mikey, but Don's right. If it's that simple, just write it down for me. Or, if you feel up to it, you can sit down and tell us what to do."

"Are you sure _you_ cooking is better then _me_?" Mikey demanded.

"Hey, where's Splinter?" Raph interrupted suddenly, looking around as if to find him.

"He went to visit the tea shop. The one on the other side of town, so he won't be back until evening." Donnie handed Raph the watermelon to put away.

"Oh, by the way, Mikey." Leo reached into the remaining bag and dug around until he felt the package he was after, pulling it out. "April sent some cough drops with us and says to get better."

"Sweet!" Mikey took the package and took barely a second to read the label before tearing it open. "I so can use these. April's the best!"

"That reminds me. Picked up some magazine." Raph reached into the same bag and pulled out the skateboard magazine, casually dropping it on the table. "Some random publisher; looked pretty coo,l so I grabbed it."

"The 43 non-comply?" Mikey snatched it up as well. "I heard these guys take wicked pictures! Awesome. Thanks Raph!"

Taking the magazine and cough drops, Mikey darted out of the kitchen and headed for the couch. Klunk trotted after him like an orange shadow but got distracted with tackling something on the floor only he could see.

Once finished with their work in the kitchen, Leo wrangled a written dinner plan from Mikey before heading out with Don on a regular sweep of the nearby sewer tunnels. Raph meanwhile went to work on his motorcycle in the garage like he'd planned to do, keeping the door open so he had a view of the main lair.

~TMNT~

Splinter came back to a round of "welcome home" with a bag full of fragrant candles and teas. That was about the time that Mikey started feeling worse.

It was Donnie who noticed as he swung by to check diagrams on his computer and maybe run a few open ended searches. Mikey was rubbing his forehead with a knuckle, shifting restlessly on the couch and unable to focus on the magazine if the flipping back and forth was anything to go by.

Donnie changed direction to the kitchen to fetch a cold rag (before Mikey _really_ started rubbing at his eyes) and grabbed the thermometer. Mikey took the wet rag willingly enough but fussed and whined when Donnie checked him over, for once more irritated then pleased at the attention. Mikey's more than usually fuzzy logic and purely irrational reasoning told Don just how tired and miserable he was feeling.

A little worried at how high the fever had spiked, Donnie insisted on listening to Mikey's lungs and checking the back of his throat - just in case - and no amount of whining from his younger brother was able to dissuade him. Not that Mikey didn't try. He only caved in when Don threatened to have Raph sit on him. They both knew Raph would do it.

But Mikey's lungs were clear and the fever leveled off within the normal range of a cold virus. Donnie reassured a hovering Leo and Raph, who had noticed him bring out the stethoscope, that it wasn't anything serious as long as Mikey got enough rest and kept hydrated. Raph fetched the last of the soda cans from the fridge while Donnie got two Advil for Mikey to help with the fever.

Dinner came around an hour later and while Mikey eyed the kitchen longingly, he shook his head when Leo offered to make him a plate and stayed on the couch.

"I'm not hungry." he reluctantly admitted. "Besides, my throat is hurting too much to eat."

At Splinter's suggestion, Leo had fetched a cup of yogurt and, with some big brother wheedling, got Mikey to eat it despite his whining. But Mikey flat out refused to move from the couch, curling up against the armrest with a death grip on the TV remote.

"I've been sleeping almost all day," he argued with Raph, his face scrunched up. "I'm tired of being tired and I can't fall asleep again until I stop being tired. Besides, I'm too tired to move upstairs."

Raph threw up his hands in exasperation, his patience fraying. He marched off to his own room, muttering under his breath about younger brothers. Recognizing Michelangelo's moods from experience, Splinter spoke quietly to Leo before fetching a book from his room. Encouraging Donatello, who was working in the subway car lab, to go to bed on time, Splinter took a seat on the recliner next to the couch. He didn't say a word as he opened the book and smoothed a hand across the well worn pages, but made sure to drape his tail over the side closest to the couch.

As evening grew into night, Leonardo came by with a cup of tea for him and a thermos that he set down on the coffee table within reach of Michelangelo. Splinter smiled and took the cup gratefully, inclining his head in reply to the unspoken question in his son's eye. Yes, he would be staying to make sure his youngest was taken care of. Leonardo's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly in response.

Before he left, Leonardo tucked a corner of the blanket over Michelangelo's feet and placed a hand on his forehead, despite the mumbled grumblings it produced. Satisfied that it wasn't any warmer than before, Leo gave the head an affectionate rub before he padded off for the stairs and disappeared into his own room. Splinter returned to his reading, relaxing into the chair and allowing his tail to curl one way then the other. The movement would draw him in eventually.

He was halfway through his cup of tea and finishing the second chapter of his book when Splinter finally felt a hand catch the end of his tail and tug on it. Carefully maintaining his air of ignorance, Splinter risked peeking at Michelangelo to see that Mikey had pulled the tail over the couch edge and was carefully looping it around his hand before snuggling against it. Splinter smiled and went back to reading, letting the tail tip occasionally tap against the turtle's arm.

He had to wait another forty minutes, but in the end Splinter's patience was rewarded when he heard the raspy, slightly labored breathing relax and even out into sleep. Setting his cup and book on the table, he quietly got up and moved to Michelangelo's side, cupping a hand over his head.

"Rest in peace, my son," he whispered affectionately. "I am here."

He didn't have the heart to remove his tail from Michelangelo's grip, even if he was asleep now. And so he eased the remote out of his son's now loose grip and turned the TV off. Settling himself back in the recliner, he picked up his cup to finish his tea, relishing the quietness of the lair, basking in the feel of the relaxed and _whole_ energies from his sons upstairs and occasionally looking at his youngest and thinking about how much the turtle had grown. Marveling once again at the miracle that had quite literally fallen over him.

Setting the now empty cup back onto the table, Splinter folded his legs under him, shifting a bit to get into the most comfortable position he could find. Then he took a deep, cleansing breath and closed his eyes.

~TMNT~

He was hot! So hot. In fact he wasn't sure he'd been hotter in his entire life. He struggled to free himself from the binding heat that was somehow trapping his arms. If he could just get it off and get some cool fresh air...

...where was everyone? Why was it so dark in the lair?

"I am here, my son." A hand smoothed over his brow. "Are you awake?"

He tried to reply but it only came out as a mumble. He tugged at the material wrapped too tightly around him again, finally figuring out what it was. His blanket, duh.

The hand brushed his brow again before tugging at the blanket. He shifted, trying to help loosen any corners pinned under his shell. A harsh cough took him by surprise, stopping any movement and provoking more coughs.

The hands firmly took him by the shoulders and rolled him onto his side. The coughing eased finally to the point that he could hold it in and he panted, his lungs hungry for air. The hand changed from patting his back to calming circles.

"Easy, my son. Calm breaths, or you will start again."

Mikey peeled his eyes open and took in the gray blurry figure in front of him and croaked. "Hey dad."

"Good morning, Michelangelo."

Mikey blinked in confusion. "Morning?" He sniffed his stuffed up nose and it tickled his throat in response. He made the mistake of trying to clear his throat which set off another round of coughing. It was worse this time and he struggled to push himself up, trying to catch his breath. It was hard to coordinate his half-asleep limbs and it didn't help when he snagged the blanket under his hand and it pulled even tighter across his frame, preventing him from sitting up completely.

Splinter tried to help him, tugging at the blanket with one hand while supporting him with the other. But despite the rat's strength, Michelangelo easily outweighed his father and the couch made it hard to outright pull Mikey upright.

"Here, father."

An arm slid behind Mikey's shell and around his shoulder and lifted him enough for Splinter to finally pull away the tangled blanket. Once that was clear, another arm joined the first and pulled him upright. Mikey felt it easier to breath even as his coughing deepened.

"Raph, can you...?"

The couch dipped as someone sat down behind Mikey - protector, he automatically identified the presence - and he was eased up against the solid frame of a brother. His cough suddenly became wet sounding. A hand thumped him helpfully on the back of his shell and finally he felt the phlegm loosen.

"Here is a trash can."

He opened eyes he hadn't realized he had closed and obediently spat into the trash can in front of him, then slumped back with a whimper. Mikey blinked his eyes hard, trying to clear the grit he could feel around them as he heard them set the trash down.

"How ya feeling?"

Mikey almost startled at Raph's unexpected voice because he could have sworn it was Leo's aura he had felt just a few seconds ago. He worked his mouth for a second, testing to see if it was safe before speaking. "'m hot. Sore. Hot."

He moved his hand to wipe at his neck and scrunched up his face in disgust when it came away wet, letting out another whine of misery. Now that he realized it, he was sweaty everywhere and he was sure he felt it trickling down his plastron. "An' sweaty. Again. Bleh."

The musical sound of water droplets seemed out of place and he didn't pay it any mind until a swath of coolness covered his foot. Mikey let out a small gasp which turned into another coughing fit. As he sat up he could see Splinter sitting at the end of the coffee table, wiping down his feet with a wet cloth.

"I did not mean to startle you, my son." Splinter gently picked up his other foot and wiped it down with the cold cloth.

"It's okay," Mikey managed to croak out, his throat and cough forcing him to use short words. "Feels good. Thanks."

Raph grabbed the trash can again as Mikey managed to loosen more phlegm. When Mikey sat back Raph placed a hand on his forehead for a second. "Geez, you are sweating. Leo?"

Movement caught Mikey's eye and he looked to see Leo kneel down next to him. Blearily Mikey remembered that he had been sleeping on the couch. It seemed so obvious now. He couldn't believe he hadn't remembered right away.

"Hey, Mikey, rough way to wake up, eh?" Leo gave him a smile and held up a thermometer. "Think you can hold this in your mouth for me?"

He blinked at the blurred thermometer for a moment - wasn't it enough that he was hot? - before dipping his chin in a short nod. His bros always took care of him, he didn't have to think too hard. "M'kay."

He opened his mouth and Leo slipped it in, holding it in place as he admonished, "Now remember, don't bite it."

"Awts 'af," Mikey grumbled around the thermometer, trying hard not to bit down on the plastic.

Somehow Raph deciphered his warped words and let out a chuckle, flicking a finger against Mikey's shell with a hollow _thunk_. "Sure, and it ain't your teeth marks in Splinter's first set of calligraphy brushes."

Splinter let out a hum of agreement as he re-moistened the cloth. Mikey could hear the warm humor in the rat's voice and rolled his eyes. As far as he was concerned, since he couldn't remember doing such a thing, he wasn't at fault. If Splinter didn't keep them around, no one else would remember either.

The thermometer beeped and Leo pulled it out. He let out a thoughtful hum. "His temperature is running a little high..."

"Bad high?" Raph demanded, hand going up to Mikey's forehead again. Mikey couldn't help but lean into the hand, which felt significantly cooler than his head did at the moment.

"No, no, it's in the range of our normal fevers still." Leo stretched to show Splinter the thermometer reading, just in case. Splinter put the cloth down and took the instrument, nodding in agreement so Leo continued, "But it is high and, if it keeps up, he's definitely going to get uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable now, Leo," Mikey managed to get out before coughing weakly. Raph took his hand away from his head and massaged a shoulder.

"I know, Mikey." Leo reached out and patted his arm.

"Let me check something." Splinter slid along the edge of the coffee table until he could reach Mikey's hand. Picking it up, Splinter pinched the skin on the back of his hand, frowning at the results. "You are dehydrated already."

Leo ducked his head to catch Mikey's eyes. "Hey, you think you could drink some water? Tea?"

Mikey closed his eyes and shook his head both times. Just thinking about drinking made him swallow and wince in reflex. He felt Leo pat his arm one more time before pulling away as Splinter's spoke up again.

"We should get some liquid into him or else it'll only get worse."

"I'll go see what we have in the fridge. Be right back."

"Okay."

Mikey shifted as Raph answered Leo, trying to find a position that didn't seem to make his back and shoulders ache. But the movement seemed to remind his lungs that they weren't feeling so good and another round of coughing made him sit up again, coughing loudly. It didn't stop until he'd loosen up some more phlegm and Raph helpfully held the trash can as he spat into it again.

Exhausted and aching all over Mikey, slumped back against Raph, letting his eyes fall shut.

"Raph," he whined. "I'm hot."

"Just hang in there."

"This ranks to the deep sewers."

"I know. But you're a tough little turtle."

Mikey shook his head but didn't bother arguing. It hurt too much and he just wanted it all to go away so he reached around and grabbed Raph's hand and held it tight as he gritted his teeth against the throbbing in his throat. Raph grumbled under his breath, shifted and tugged at the hand but didn't yank it away.

"Here, my son. This should help while we wait."

A moment later the wet cloth was draped over the top of his head. Mikey sighed in relief and loosened his grip on Raph's hand as some of his tense muscles relaxed.

"Thanks, dad." he said hoarsely.

A furred hand patted one his his hands gently, the simple touch somehow soothing.

"Hey, Mikey, open your eyes."

With a groan and much difficulty, Mikey pried his eyes open and saw that Leo was back. In one hand he held a bottle of clear liquid while the other was cupped and obviously carrying something. Mikey couldn't be bothered to figure out what.

"Here's some seltzer water and I've got you two Advil to help with the fever."

Mikey blinked, having to think for a second before realizing that Leo wasn't talking about regular water but the bubbling kind. That certainly sounded nicer then plain old water and he knew from previous experience that it went down more easily. "M'kay."

He released his hold on Raph in order to hold out a hand and Leo carefully tipped the Advil into his palm. Once he managed to get them into his mouth, Leo broke the seal on the bottle lid before putting it in his hand.

He gratefully took a swig. The seltzer water went down easily enough, although he should have known it would have been one without much flavor in it. It almost tasted bitter and it still hurt to swallow but it was bearable. The bubbles made his nose twitch and before he knew it he was sneezing.

The tissue box was shoved into his face and he grabbed a handful to sneeze into again before he wiped his face and plastron with another handful. As he finished up the trash can appeared in front of him and he dutifully dropped the wadded tissues into it. Slumping back against Raph, he took another careful sip from the bottle, which he'd managed to keep a hold of, sighing in relief at the cooling effect it had on his throat. "Sorry, Raph. Thanks Leo."

"Don't mention it." Leo told him, setting the can down.

Splinter set the tissue box back onto the table. "How does another bath sound?"

Mikey hesitated. It sounded good but... "What time is it?"

Raph gave him a gentle shove. "Doesn't matter, knucklehead. You're getting a bath."

Mikey hesitated only a second longer before nodding in agreement. "Okay, yeah. That sounds good."

"Alright." Leo used the couch to push himself up. "I'll go get the water started. Try to get him to finish up the bottle, Raph."

"It's too early for you to order me around," Raph grumbled at Leo's retreating shell, but he looked pointedly at Mikey none the less. Mikey just rolled his eyes and took another sip.

It wasn't too hard for Mikey to keep drinking. Despite the taste, something he normally wouldn't torture himself with, the carbon was the only thing making it possible to swallow and after a couple sips he realized how thirsty he felt.

He barely managed to finish the seltzer water before Leo came back to announce that the bath was ready. Raph took the empty bottle as Splinter got to his feet and helped Mikey sit up. Once free of Mikey's weight, Raph wasted no time getting off the couch and stretched quickly before helping Splinter haul a feverish Mikey off the couch.

Mikey stumbled to his feet, his head suddenly pounding, and the bath didn't seem so worth it anymore. Groaning, he turned and buried his head into Splinter's shoulder, relishing the soft material and mumbled into it, "Ow."

Splinter had to shift to take the extra weight but he didn't mind. He patted Mikey's shell. "It will pass, Michelangelo. Give it some time, then let me know when you are ready."

Mikey nodded and waited for the initial pounding in his head to calm down. Once it did, he pushed off Splinter's shoulder and, rubbing his forehead in irritation, started off for the bathroom.

Splinter tried to follow him, but he could only manage a heavy, painful hobble. He leaned on his walking stick, hand going to his thigh and pressing down on rock tense muscles. Obviously they hadn't appreciated the night spent on the recliner, or sitting on the hard surface of the table.

Before he could take another step a hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up to see Raphael give him a small smile, signaling with his other hand the _okay_ \- _stay_ sign. Splinter dipped his head in appreciating and understanding, staying where he was while Raph took two long strides to catch up to Mikey and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on slowpoke, before I decide it's faster to carry you."

"I can walk by myself," Mikey grumbled, shrugging. "I'm not that sick yet."

"Father?" Splinter looked up to see Leonardo looking at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just my leg," Splinter reassured him as he began kneading his thigh with his knuckles. "But... would you fetch me the jar of tiger balm?

Mikey didn't really remember the walk. It wasn't that interesting to walk from one domestic location to another, and his head had been pounding. He became more aware when he entered the bathroom and the warm humid air forced another wet coughing fit. He spat the phlegm out in the sink before making a bee line for the filled tub and managed to get in without falling.

Within minutes the water started to relax his muscles and it felt as if some of the fever was fading away. But that could have been the Advil finally kicking it. Not that it really mattered; better was better. He sighed in relief, folding his arms on the tub edge and resting his chin on them.

Someone dragged a chair and sat down heavily. Mikey cracked his eyes open - when had he closed them? - to see a hand reach for the long handled scrub brush.

"I'm a big turtle, Splinter," he mumbled, making a grab for the brush and completely missing.

"A big turtle who's sick." The deep chuckled certainly wasn't Splinter. Mikey twisted around and stared at the green figure sitting next to the bathtub. It took him a whole three seconds to remember and fit the pieces together.

"Oh," he finally managed to say, though he wasn't all that surprised. Confused though, yes.

First he had thought it was Leo when it was Raph and now it was Raph, not Splinter. He was certain it was Splinter who had helped him when he was on the couch and Splinter who he'd been leaning on... but maybe that was just a muddled half dream? He shook his head and started coughing again, leaning over to spit in the trash can when he was done, then splashed some water on his face to wipe his runny nose. "Hi Raph."

Raph looked amused for some reason. "Hi Mike."

Leo leaned into the room, bracing himself against the door frame. "Everything going good in here?"

"Yup." Raph tugged on Mikey's shoulder and he obliged, twisting around to rest his plastron against the tub side and letting his arms dangle out. He smiled tiredly up at Leo. "Hi Leo."

"Hi, Mikey." The corner of Leo's mouth tugged upward. "Feeling better?"

"Ummm... yeah?" Mikey blinked as he thought hard, coughing wetly again. Was he? His head certainly wasn't as hazy as it had been before. He was still feeling warm, but no longer unbearably hot. His energy was still gone, though, and he felt wrung out. He revised his answer. "Maybe. I think."

The corner of Leo's mouth twitched again. "Glad to hear it. Raph, I'll get some tea and food set up for you."

"Okay."

Leo disappeared from the doorway. Mikey closed his eyes as Raph started brushing down his shell, then jerked them open as a finger flicked his sore snout. "Ow, Raph."

"No falling asleep," Raph told him sternly, waving the finger in his face. "We're not going to be that long and I ain't carrying you out of here."

"I wasn't going to fall asleep," Mikey mumbled, wiping his nose again and washing it off in the water, then pressing the wet hand against his face gently. It felt good. "Head feels too stuffy and... tight."

"Headache?"

Mikey gave a small shake. "No, just not normal."

"Give it time." Raph set the brush down and started pouring water over Mikey's shell using the nearby plastic container. He did it a couple of times to wash off any lingering soap, then set the container down as Mikey started coughing.

Mikey spent what felt like the next five minutes coughing and spitting up thick phlegm, washing his face in between bouts. When his lungs finally settled down Raph handed him a washcloth. "Here, wash your face and neck then we'll get you out."

"Do I need to do behind my ears too?" Mikey croaked as he took the cloth and dipped it.

Raph rolled his eyes. "You are feeling better."

"Sorta," Mikey corrected. "Don't know how long it'll last."

To his surprise though, when he finished washing down, he felt much better. Even his head and nose felt clearer and despite all the coughing his throat didn't feel constricted. Best of all, he no longer had that sticky sweaty feeling clinging to his skin.

When he said he was ready, Raph ignored his protests and helped him out of the tub so he didn't chance a tumble. He immediately sat down on the wooden stool Raph had been using, tired from the small effort of getting out. Raph threw a towel over his head before disappearing out the doorway.

Mikey took his time drying off, moving slowly from lack of energy. Plus, he soon discovered, despite his head feeling better, his thoughts were scattered and it was harder then usual to keep focused on one task. Finally pronouncing himself dry enough, he stood up and tossed the towel over the stool before ambling out into the kitchen where he found Raph pouring tea.

"Sit," Raph ordered without looking up, gesturing to the table. Shrugging his shoulders, and having nothing else planned, Mikey slid into the nearest chair and rested his head against the table. It felt wonderfully cool.

A clatter of ceramics pulled him out of his doze. He lifted his head to find a cup of tea and a plate with a small piece of cheese baked fish from dinner in front of him. Raph slid into the chair opposite and rested his cheek on a fist. Mikey eyed the fish.

"I'm not that hungry."

"Just eat what you can."

Mikey blinked and finally realized that Raph had that sleepy-grumpy look on him. How late - or early - was it? Pulling the tea cup closer, he squinted at the clock on the wall. "What time is that... four?"

"Five, five thirty." Raph corrected. "In the morning."

"Huh." Mikey frowned into his tea, taking a hesitant sip and sputtered at the spicy taste. Yup, his favorite ginger tea - not. It was no surprise that Leo was up, and Mikey was partially convinced Splinter never slept. Or at least not when they were around. But he knew Raph didn't make it a habit to wake up this early. "Sorry if I woke you up."

Raph glared at him. "Mikey. Remember our talk?"

He shrugged his shoulders and took another sip. "Yeah, I know but... stinks."

Raph just grunted and shook his head. "Forget it. You know I never do anything unless I want to. Besides, I'm going back to bed after this. What about you, you feeling sleepy?"

Mikey nodded as he took a nibble of fish. He felt like he hadn't gotten all that much sleep to begin with and his eyes still had that papery tiredness about them.

The fish, slathered in melted cheese, actually tasted good and after all the hacking and spitting he had done in the bathroom, he found it surprisingly easy to swallow. Before he knew it, he was licking his fork clean.

Raph snorted in amusement. "Wasn't hungry, he tells me."

"I wasn't!" Mikey looked at his cleared off plate. He could have sworn he hadn't been hungry. "But maybe my stomach had different ideas. I don't know. I haven't had time to talk to it yet."

Raph laughed and scrubbed his face as he stood up, scooping up Mikey's empty dishes. "Whatever. Come on, I'm ready to crash."

Mikey heaved himself out of the chair and made his way over to the stairs, the sounds of Raph washes the plate and cup following after him. He was halfway up when Raph scrambled up the nearby pillar, beating Mikey to the second floor.

"Man, Mikey," Raph teased as Mikey finally made it up the stairs. "Go any slower and I'll fall asleep waiting for you."

"Haha, enjoy it while it lasts. Soon I'll be making circles around you." Mikey glared at Raph then reached out to snatch at Raph's bandana as Raph turned away.

"Just not yet." Raph ducked out of reach, smirking as he darted into the bedroom. Mikey followed, grumbling under his breath. "Showoff."

Raph stopped by his equipment shelves to take off his pads and belts while Mikey, who hadn't bothered with any of his gear since he got sick, simply flopped into the space under Raph's hammock and curled up.

Sleep was tugging at him and his eyes were drifting close when he felt a blanket settle over him, and it was only then that he realized that he was actually starting to feel a little cool. He grabbed the blanket and snuggled under it.

"Thanks, Raph."

Raph tagged him in the arm before crawling into his hammock.

~TMNT~

When Michelangelo drifted awake he already knew that it was some time past morning. It was just the feel of the energy of the lair.

He blinked his eyes open, snuggled into his blanket and took the time to listen and look around. Sound drifted into the room from someone playing the TV. It sounded like a wrestling show, so it had to be Raph.

Carefully he took a breath. When that didn't irritate anything he took a deeper one, letting his ribcage flex. He grinned with glee as he breathed the breath back out. The back of his throat still felt raw and his ribs were a bit sore but there was no insane urge to cough his lungs out.

"Yes!" He sat up, pumped a fist and made another discovery. The ache in his joints was gone. And, more importantly, he wasn't feeling lightheaded.

Unable to contain himself, he bounded out from beneath the hammock and skipped over to the doorway, where he spotted Donnie coming out of his room, arms full of assorted tools and... something. Mikey wasn't sure what, and since none of them looked like volatile chemicals or hazardous machinery, he didn't care.

"Hi Donnie!" he yelled, tackling his brother front on, wrapping his arms around him.

"Ack, whoa!" Donnie yelped in surprise, dropping several items onto the floor where they bounced around. "Mikey! What was that for?"

"Just because!" Mikey grinned widely as he released Donnie. Then, because he could see the beginning of irritation in Donnie's eyes, he bent down and snatched at the items on the floor.

"I take it you're feeling better?" Donnie asked as Mikey tried to get the ball of wire to settle on the pile without tumbling back off. How did Donnie get it all to stay put in the first place?

"Yup! No fever, no cough." Mikey finally just jammed the wire bundle into the gap between a box of metal screws and some hosing. "And now I'm starving!"

"Don't push yourself, Mikey!" Donnie's voice called after him as he bounded away. "Or else you'll get a relapse!"

His next victim appeared as Mikey came down the stairs.

"Leo!"

Leo dodged to the side, avoiding Mikey's air tackle from above by scant inches. Mikey was forced to change his landing - which Leo was supposed to of softened - into a tuck and roll.

Leo put down the book he had been flipping through and raised an eye ridge. "Nice landing, Mikey. If you really want to practice on your ninja skills though-"

"Oh, save it." Despite the miss, Mikey couldn't help but laugh as he scrambled to his feet. It took a lot to catch Leo by surprise and Mikey _had_ been a tad noisy on the stairs. "Besides, there are more important things, like food!"

"Splinter made French toast this morning. I'm pretty sure he saved some in the oven," Leo told him, reaching out to feel his forehead. "You're sounding much better... and no fever. How are you feeling?"

Mikey grinned and snatched at Leo's arm before he could pull completely away and gave him a side hug. "It's so awesome to be better!"

Releasing Leo, Mikey started for the kitchen but paused when the sounds from the TV caught his attention. He could see Raph sitting in the couch, twirling a sai in one hand as he was in the habit of doing.

_Give me a cold hand, will he?_ Mikey grinned and rubbed his hands together, looking around before he started sneaking up to the couch. Leo had gone back to flipping through his book and the TV sounds covered up his approach.

"Yo!" He glomped onto his brother, wrapping his arms around his neck, then purposely dropped to his knees and made himself as heavy as possible so Raph couldn't flip him.

Raph gave a satisfying yelp, fumbled with his twirling sai before managing to regain control of it, at which point he started growling. "Mikey!"

"How'd you guess?" Mikey faked shocked surprise.

Raph shoved his sai into his belt and started trying to get a good grip on Mikey's arms. "Who else would be this annoying? Now get off!"

"Aww, you just say that cause you love me," Mikey teased, releasing one hand when Raph pinched at the skin between his finger and thumb. He retaliated by giving Raph a noogie, then yelped when Raph grabbed the wrist and gave a strong yank.

Mikey almost went over the couch back, sacrificing his hold on Raph to plant his other hand on the couch and halt his movement at the last minute. He pulled back on his arm, kicking a foot against the couch to try and counter Raph's strength, wiggling his hand. "Raphieee!"

Raph managed to twist around and stood up on his knees. Mikey squeaked as he had to really grapple in earnest to prevent Raph from pulling him up and off balance.

The couch wobbled, then tipped backwards with a crash. Mikey and Raph didn't pay it any mind, as they were both busy rolling on their shells, trying to gain the upper hand.

"Ahem."

They froze in mid-action - Mikey's hand full of Raph's red bandana and Raph tugging on Mikey's cheek - at the deliberate throat clearing. They looked up to see Splinter eying them.

Mikey blinked, taking in the couch laying on its back, cushions tumbled all about, then did the only thing he knew had a chance of getting him out of any type of practice for the day. He turned on his brightest smile - it helped that he really was very happy to see Splinter - and chirped. "Hi Splinter!"

Splinter's whiskers twitched, but Mikey couldn't tell if that was good or not. "Good afternoon, Michelangelo. I take it you are well rested?"

"Well," Mikey drew out the one word as he thought hard. If he said yes there was a chance that Splinter would decide he was energetic enough for a small practice session and Mikey chaffed at the idea of having to spend any amount of time on _work_. It was his first day of being better!

"Oh, I'm sure he's rested plenty!" Raph interjected, releasing Mikey's cheek in favor of smacking him on the back of the head. Mikey had to let go of the bandana tails. "You certainly have enough energy to cause a rukus."

"I'm just so happy to be better!" Mikey had to state truthfully. "And you were so big on sharing yesterday."

"Yeah? Well, I think I like Donnie's version of sharing." Raph raised his fist and Mikey grinned, ready to move and pounce.

The _clink_ of wood on brick recaptured their attention. Splinter folded both hands over his walking stick. "Hmmm, I see. Very well; Raphael, please set the couch back up and empty the trash can there. Michelangelo, since you seem free from your illness, half an hour of stretches and two complete basic katas."

"Awww, man!" Mikey made a face on principle but knew that it was more than fair. Stretches and basic katas - Splinter was allowing him to choose which ones, he noticed - were the equivalent of homework duty and didn't require that much effort. "But... French toast!"

"Will stay warm in the oven," Splinter said firmly, though not unkindly, before moving away.

He turned to Raph, ready to let him know that it was all Raph's fault that his breakfast was going to be delayed by a whole half hour. But before he could, Raph sat up and started coughing into his fist.

"No, no, no!" he cried, scrambling away from his brother and pointing an accusing finger at him. "You are not allowed to get sick! If you get sick, you'll mutate that virus and then _I'll_ get sick. Again!"

"Geez, give it a break." Raph coughed one last time as he glared at Mikey. "I'm fine. Now get out of my shell and do your stretches."

Mikey rolled his eyes but started doing his stretches right where he was as Raph set up the couch. And later, if anyone saw Mikey bring a cup of ginger tea and set it in front of Raph, they didn't say anything.

Except for Raph, that is. Mikey forgot to tell him that it wasn't coffee.

* * *

I do have some other story ideas floating in my head that I'm hoping to work on. I don't like posting until it is all finished and ready for editing though, so depending on what I pick it can take anywhere from a month to (eep) 3 months to hammer out the work of art.


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